96pts Vinous

Dusty violets, lavender and cloves accentuate dried black cherries as the dramatic 2019 Brunello di Montalcino smolders up from the glass. This is impossible to ignore, bursting with energy as depths of ripe red fruits, chalky minerals and exotic spices saturate all they touch, balanced by textures of pure silk. The 2019 finishes with fantastic length and concentration, leaving a staining of tart blackberry and hints of orange that curl the tongue as crunchy tannins tug at the palate. It's rare to see such a combination of vibrancy and power. Canalicchio di Sopra nailed it in 2019. Wow. Drinking window 2026-2042.

95pts Decanter

After excellent showings from the 2018 vintage, Canalicchio di Sopra follows up with an impressive trio of 2019s. There is also a highly promising Riserva waiting in the wings... In the meantime, the current releases kick off with the estate Brunello, which is assembled from vines that are at least a decade old. It's a model of freshness and energy, backed by substance and staying power. Aromas of mint, lavender and tobacco lead to a radiant core of warm stone and red currants. The tannins are direct and linear, giving a firm grip to the dense fruit. Bitter citrus to finish. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2037.

94pts James Suckling

Black cherry, black berry, and lead pencil on the nose. Some fresh bark too. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Linear tannins. Drink after 2026.

94pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

With a hint of candied cherry, grenadine or Shirley Temple, the Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Brunello di Montalcino reveals purple blossom, dried flower, cough drop and balsam herb. The wine is very nicely stitched together with integrated oak that comes through in a structural way but not too much on the bouquet. The tannins do feel dry on the mid-palate, but they remain fine and tight. The alcohol is a bit high in this vintage at 15%. Production is 47,321 bottles. Drink Date 2025 - 2040.

Winemaker Notes

Brunello di Montalcino 2019 DOCG “Canalicchio di Sopra” is, as per tradition, 50% each from the two terroirs where our vineyards are located, Canalicchio and Montosoli. Our flagship wine, produced since 1966, is a quest for the perfect balance, striving to make these two areas complementary to one another.

The 2019 expresses itself with disruptiveness, envelopment, and freshness within the framework of great structure and elegance. The vintage brings out the balsamic nature, opulence, and minerality of our Sangiovese which move together in a vibrant and silky body.

Vineyard Notes

Produced from vineyards which are over 10 years old, it represents the essence of our concept of terroir: an expression of elegance, depth, and freshness of our Sangiovese, able to unite its balsamic quality of the north side of Montalcino with the opulence of our lands.

Vintage Notes

Referring to 2019 as one of the best vintages in recent decades, counting this vintage among the greatest in the Montalcino territory, we believe that this wouldn’t be a stretch, or even a misjudgment.

The 2019 vintage, from our point of view, respects those canons of “Elegant Power” which only vintages with great balance are able to give, raising the bar of balance and bringing with it a lot of everything: from perfect phenolic maturation which brings out the “Power” to the extraordinary technological maturation, which, thanks to the continuity of the optimal acid profile, accentuates the “Elegance”. Perpetually poised between showing its muscles and its grace, aspects which differ so much but also magically complement one other in a great wine that is meant to age for a long time, the 2019 surprises for its harmony and balance, which only great vintages are able to achieve.

Blend: 100% Sangiovese