96pts Jeb Dunnuck

Ripe, with well-balanced layers, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Vigna Nastagio is generous with notes of sappy earth, crushed black cherries, and fresh sage. Full-bodied, with ripe tannins and a rounded mid-palate, it’s lush and long on the palate, with good freshness. It feels lux, with good ripeness throughout. Drink 2025-2045.

94pts Wine Enthusiast

An indulgent vanilla-chocolate-berry swirl on the nose is balanced by aromas of medicinal herbs and a bit of tanned leather. The palate offers more fruit, but with restraint, with cherries, strawberries, raspberries and figs all represented but held in equilibrium as though by a square of salted dark chocolate and a sip of anise liquor. 

93pts James Suckling

Open and pretty with black-cherry, mushroom and orange-peel aromas that follow through to a medium body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Fine and delicious now. No need to wait. Drink or hold.

93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This wine is released one year past its peers. The organic Col d'Orcia 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Nastagio opens quickly to show dried currant and cherry with hints of pressed rose, plum liqueur and crème de cassis. The 15% alcohol content does not go unnoticed in the 2018 vintage, considering the slightly more fragile texture. The tannins are fine-grained and chalky, and the mouthfeel is medium-rich. Don't wait too long to drink it. This is a 14,000-bottle release.

92pts Vinous

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Nastagio is hauntingly dark, with a whiff of dusty violets and incense that give way to dried strawberries and a lifting hint of camphor. This is a model of purity and finesse with silky textures. Orange notes invigorate its core of tart wild berry fruits. The 2018's structure comes forward through the finale, clamping down hard on remnants of licorice and spice as subtle hints of tangerine slowly fade. I love the Vigna Nastagio’s fruit and aromatics, yet its gruff tannins give me pause when balanced against the finessed nature of this wine. As a result, I believe it will be best to enjoy this after only a few years of cellaring and deal with the fact that it may never find perfect harmony.

Tasting Notes

Ruby red with garnet hues. Ample, intense and complex on the nose. The aromas of berries and light alsamic hints of mint and licorice are well combined with nuances of spiciness of vanilla and roasted notes given by the oak. Great structure, full and enveloping, soft ripe tannins  are enhanced by an acid freshness and a good sapidity.  The long persistent aftertaste is slightly toasted on the finish.

About the Wine

Brunello Nastagio is the result of the long experience accumulated by Col d'Orcia in the development and management of the Sangiovese vineyard. Nastagio is also the result of the many Research chapters conducted over more than twenty years by Col d’Orcia with the University of Florence.  The aging in Tonneaux (500 liters) oak barrels and then in the traditional large “botti” represent the meeting point between tradition and modernity preserving the essential aspect of longevity. The polymerization and the maturity of tannins occurs during the first year of aging in the smaller barrels resulting in a decrease of the classic astringency of the variety and insuring the stabilization of color. The result of the year aging in small barrels is the production of polysaccharides, which contribute towards obtaining a full, persistent and soft wine. In the second and third years of aging in the large barrels, the wine reaches the taste-aroma balance and produces fine and elegant tertiary elements, achieving an increase in the complexity and the exaltation of the typical aromas of Sangiovese.

Nastagio (also known as Nastasio) is the name of an ancient farm house of the “Fattoria di Sant’Angelo”, which was already included in the maps of Grand Duke Leopold.

Winery Notes

As one of the original estates of Montalcino and now the largest certified organic estate in Tuscany, Col d’Orcia is a leader in Brunello di Montalcino, helping to define and promote one of Italy’s most prestigious wine regions. Tradition, integrity and sustainability are the pillars of the estate, whose classic style wines are celebrated all over the world.

Situated on the outskirts of the medieval hilltop village of Montalcino in Tuscany’s Siena province, the estate has a rich winemaking history that dates back to the 1700s. In 1973, the estate was purchased by the Cinzano family, who markedly increased the vineyard holdings. They are now the third largest owner of Brunello vineyards in Montalcino. Proudly defined as an ‘organic island,’ Col d’Orcia is committed to maintaining the natural environment in which it operates and has, for many years, employed organic farming practices. The entire estate includes vineyards, gardens, olive groves, tobacco and wheat fields, which are all farmed following exclusively organic agricultural practices. In 2010, the estate underwent the organic farming certification process and is now the largest certified organic wine producing farm in all of Tuscany.

Organic