Wine Advocate: 96 Points
The Altesino 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva holds tight to its unique character and power. The classic 2016 vintage produced generous wines that are layered and rich but also coiled tightly at their core. This wine exemplifies this point, adding lots of tart Sangiovese fruit and freshness along the way. It also shows an impressive richness of flavors with dried cherry, licorice, pressed violets, balsam herb and dusty limestone. The caveat with this wine, should you decide to drink it early, is that it needs extra time to open (and a double decanting would also help). This 10,000-bottle production opens beautifully in time.
Wine Spectator: 95 Points
A beautifully integrated and solidly built Brunello, this is hallmarked by textbook aromas and flavors of cherry, strawberry, iron, sanguine and tobacco. Delivers accents of herbs, earth and almond that emerge as it plays out on the long, detailed finish. Approachable now and should age over the next decade or more. Best from 2024 through 2040. 1,250 cases made, 750 cases imported.
