Talenti

Blend of Sangiovese (approx. 80%) and Petit Verdot from the southwest slope. The soil has a brown colour, a clayey texture, limestone slabs and a rounded skeleton. Only the Sangiovese is aged for a few months in French oak, after which it is blended and aged in bottle. Ruby red with violet reflections. Intense aroma with characteristic notes of ripe fruit such as plum, blackberry and cherry. The taste is soft and full, with a good structure and sweet, well-balanced tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

"The Talenti 2021 Rosso shows a medium dark color with easy blackberry fruit and plum. There is a distinctive mineral note with crushed stone and flint that frames that core of rich fruit. There is a subtle note of sweetness on the close. The wine spends time in a combination of stainless steel, amphorae and oak. Production is 4,000 bottles." Wine Advocate

Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes sourced from various vineyards in the south-east/south-west of the municipality of Montalcino, from altitudes between 250 and 400 m a.s.l. The soils face south-east and have a sandy texture with limestone slabs and abundant skeletons. Maturation in French and Slavonian oak for several months, followed by bottle ageing. Intense ruby red colour with violet reflections. Intense, fresh-fruity aroma, with characteristic notes of cherry, plum and sour cherry. The taste is soft and mineral, with a good structure and well-balanced tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

"Dark ruby red. Opens on ripe, dark fruits, cold fruit tea, grapefruit zest in the nose, milk chocolate in the aftertaste. Juicy palate entry, emphatically fruity, precise and elegant, final clear and bright." Falstaff

Selection of 100% Sangiovese grapes from the winery's vineyards located on the south-eastern and south-western slopes of the municipality of Montalcino at an altitude of 250 to 400 metres above sea level. The soils have an open sandy texture with clay and abundant Galestro skeleton. The wines are aged for at least 24 months in Liters French oak barrels and 15-25 hl Slavonian oak barrels. This is followed by ageing in the bottle. Talentis Brunello has an intense ruby red colour with garnet reflections, a broad bouquet on the nose, slightly spicy. In the mouth it is full, intense, soft and velvety with elegant and sweet tannins. Wonderful value. SUPERIORE.DE

"Immensely fragrant, floral, as so often rather delicate with a rather red fruit expression. Compact and tightly woven on the palate with a firm tannin corset and a lot of finesse, hearty raspberries and wild berries, again fine herbal notes as well as mineral accents. This is again more for elegance drinkers who are looking for the classic. Wiry, almost athletic in the mouth, with supporting tannins that accompany the wine into the finesse-rich final." Weinwisser

"Clear, quite firm, a hint of animal nose of black and a little red berries with a little Mediterranean herbal spice, floral traces, long pepper, hints of juniper and a touch of tar. Tight, tangy, firmly knitted fruit, present, youthful, relatively fine tannins, noticeable acidity, persistent and quite powerful on the palate, but also with freshness and finesse, distinct salt, smoky traces, still undeveloped, some depth, a hint of cumin, hints of lovage, very good, tight, tangy and spicy finish with some coffee grounds and smoke." Wein-Plus

"Brightening medium dense ruby garnet. Shows delicate notes of cinnamon on the nose, then goji berries and crisp cherries. On the palate very precise, juicy cherry fruit, unfolds with hearty, gripping tannin, still seems a bit young, but has the best potential." Falstaff

"Brilliant ruby red. Intense fruity notes on the nose with hints of mint and caraway. On the palate, sour cherry and raspberry with minty oak notes. Slow but impressive aromatic build on the finish, complemented by fine, chewy tannins. Transparent." Jancis Robinson

"To bring the grapes to full ripeness, Riccardo Talenti carried out a generous green harvest before the ripening period and carried out a heavy defoliation in mid-August so that the wind and sun could keep the grapes dry and healthy. The result is evident in the glass: pristine, ripe fruit reminiscent of juicy cherries and strawberries, infused with cedar, juniper and nutmeg. A lively acidity and soft, multilayered tannins round off the package. There is an incredible lightness without lacking in delicious depth of flavour that Talenti seems to achieve in both warm and cool vintages." Decanter

"It has aromas of ripe and dried berry fruits, pralines, porcini mushrooms and chilli chocolate. Also some salted olives. I like the interplay of spicy and sweet fruits, with supple tannins, fresh acidity and a medium body that makes this Brunello very balanced and approachable." James Suckling

"The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is dark and seductive with a blend of crushed plums, brown spices, shaved cedar and a hint of cocoa. Its textures are like pure silk verging on velvet, with a gentle blend of ripe cherries and currants underlined by salty minerals, while a burst of citrus fruit contrasts towards the finish. A web of fine tannin runs through the final, creating a gentle textural pull that balances balsamic herbs and a hint of mocha as blue and purple flowers slowly fade away. There's just so much going on here, and as I've followed the 2018 over the last few months, it seems to gain depth and richness every time I taste it. Well done." Vinous

"The Talenti 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is fine and elegant with fragrant notes of dried fruits, blue flowers, earth and balsamic herbs. The balance of the wine is lovely and you will appreciate the fine tannin structure and lean to medium-bodied texture. The fruit comes from eight hectares of vines on rocky Galestro soils." Wine Advocate

"A project born of Pierluigi's audacity, Riccardo is now a fixture in Montalcino. Great finesse in this 2018: red plum, hints of chinotto and rhubarb. Iodine-rich tannins on the palate, with a fruity, citrusy finish." Luca Gardini

The Piero selection was created as a tribute to the work of Pierluigi Talenti, who has selected and worked the Sangiovese with passion over the years. A 1.95 hectare vineyard near the centre of the winery, with unique pedoclimatic characteristics, is distinguished from all other vineyards by its consistent quality. The gently sloping terrain is surrounded by woods rich in marl, with a south-eastern exposure at an altitude of 410 metres above sea level, where Pierluigi followed and cultivated his personal clonal selection in the 1970s. It is a wine with intense and persistent character, ruby colour, fine and elegant tannins. After ageing in tonneaux for at least 24 months, it is bottled until it is released to the market. SUPERIORE.DE

"Needs some aeration, but then aromas of wild berries and flowers, well cushioned by the wood, entice; juicy, fresh, full of race, the tannins robust and well integrated, intense and yet of great elegance the final." Vinum

"The bouquet is incredibly finely woven and complex, noble in its own way. Very sweet cherries, strawberries and wild berries, behind them a lot of Mediterranean herbal spice, plus fine floral notes. Wide and deep in the mouth with sweet-juicy tannins and fantastic freshness, because the ethereal notes are just wonderfully lingering and keep the wine quite long and spicy-fresh until the final. Delightful!" Weinwisser

"Tart, firm, somewhat dried-vegetable, fleshy and slightly tarry aroma of mixed berries with a hint of plums, tarragon, nutty aromas, a hint of leaves, pepper and iodine. Almost cool, juicy, quite taut fruit with acid bite and present, yet relatively fine tannins, herbal spice on the palate, nutty hints, a touch of chocolate, a little peppery ethereal tones in the background, smoky nuances, capers, rosemary and salt, some depth, still undeveloped, very good, taut finish, again with bite and ethereal spice." Wein-Plus

"Bright ruby-garnet, sparkling. Classic nose with notes of ripe dark cherries, plus plum, some blood orange and cardamom. Moves along quietly and richly, showing lots of present, ripe fruit, fine-meshed tannin, juicy and long finish." Falstaff

"Deep ruby red with brick coloured rim. Brooding sweet and sour cherry with hints of cinnamon sticks. Lush sour cherry on the palate with lots of finely ground but firm tannins. Great balance, substance and length, with decent oak management." Jancis Robinson

"Pretty hazelnut, dried flower and chocolate notes in the raspberries and ripe cherries. Medium-bodied, deliciously open and juicy, framed by taut tannins, with excellent drinkability. Fresh and balanced on the finish with tension." James Suckling

"The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Piero has more textural richness compared to the Brunello annata. This extra intensity is used in all the right places, both in terms of aromas and mouthfeel with extra stuffing here and aromatic accents there. The bouquet is infused with dark fruits, spices and grilled herbs. Like the Brunello annata, this wine has an accessible, medium-term drinking window in this vintage. Production of Piero is limited to 4,000 bottles and the grapes come from a two-hectare site at a cool 400 metres above sea level." Wine Advocate

"While less expressive than Talenti's classic Brunello, the Piero is by no means austere, and the 2018 may be my favourite vintage of this single-vineyard selection to date. It presents a beautiful purity of wild wild berry aromas lifted by mint, lavender and fennel, while blood orange and cocoa resound on the palate. Aged in 500 LitersFrench oak barrels - 30% of which are new - the wood has digested well, giving it a well-built, polished frame that doesn't overpower the fruit. A sneaky concentration and crisp acidity balance it all out." Decanter

"One of the standout wines of the vintage, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Piero starts dark and restrained in the glass, slowly coming to life with an array of dusty roses, dried strawberries, crushed plums, smoke and hints of fresh mint. The palate is velvety smooth and powerful, with admirable weight for the vintage, but also finesse as the wild berry fruit is supported by a core of vibrant acidity and violet flowers emerge towards the finish. The 2018 finishes with a bitter aftertaste of sour citrus and tart currants, but retains its fresh personality as grippy tannins linger on the palate and hints of lavender slowly fade." Vinous

"This juicy red wine features bright cherry and raspberry aromas that combine with thyme, mint and floral notes on the finish. Complex and lively, with a fine length in the refined, mineral aftertaste. Very elegant and long." Wine Spectator

"The beautiful project now overseen by Riccardo in the wine dedicated to the memory of the progenitor Pierluigi. Refined nose, notes of red mulberry, citrus thyme and touches of orange peel. Juicy-sappy, with a finish on fruity-citrus notes." Luca Gardini