Brunello di Montalcino 2015

2015 was hailed as a standout vintage for Brunello di Montalcino. Decanter’s tasting reveals both the benefits and drawbacks of its surprisingly fruit-forward, approachable, younger-drinking style

Brunello di Montalcino is renowned for its elegant fruit expression and long ageability, but the 2015 vintage marks a different approach for the wines of this esteemed Tuscan DOCG. Though our judges were extremely positive, rating 10 wines Outstanding (see ‘The scores’, below), Michael Garner noted that there were no wines rated Exceptional. A few outliers were marked down for lacking balance or showing signs of accelerated maturity.

‘One of the great things about Brunello in terms of its reputation is its potential longevity, and I do not see that with this vintage,’ said Garner. ‘Most of the wines are very forward – they’re beautiful but they’re very drinkable already, and even the best of them I do not see lasting for too long.’

Andrea Briccarello explained that 2015 ‘represents a change in style to a more approachable, earlier-drinking kind of Brunello’, though there was some concern in the room that the fruit-forward style may be a step too far for fans of Brunello. ‘Is that what people look for from Brunello, from a long-term wine?’ asked Garner.

2015 was the first Brunello vintage since 2012 to gain a five-star rating from the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, but our judges questioned whether the wines lived up to these lofty expectations. ‘Was it a five-star vintage? I’m not sure it was,’ questioned Ben Robson.

While one benefit of the 2015 style is its accessibility, Robson countered: ‘Some of these 2015s were puppy dogs, lapping at your heels, wanting to please you – which is a problem if you’ve got a public wanting to see great wines to put into their cellars.’

‘The wines are already approachable,’ added Briccarello. ‘You could easily open a bottle tonight and drink it. The wines have got potential, but I don’t think you’re going to get a lot out of them in the long term. In the next few years, though, these are outstanding wines; aromatic, f lamboyant – they tick all the boxes.’

Climate change is an increasing concern for growers and winemakers in most wine regions of the world, and Montalcino is no exception. Robson noted that budbreak today is about 30 days earlier in the spring than it used to be in the past. Discussing how the Brunello style has adjusted, he added: ‘Producers are still picking at pretty much the same time, so these grapes are getting much longer hang times.’

‘With climate change, you can’t afford to macerate and extract for as long as you used to,’ explained Garner, referring to the less-tannic structure evident in many of the 2015s tasted. ‘You need to vinify a wine that is going to be fairly forward and attractive at a young age, given the ripeness of the fruit. It’s about picking at the right time. There was a time when you had to delay as long as possible to achieve phenolic maturity. These days, you’ve got to bring that forward to make sure there is a sugar/acid balance.’

Our judges clearly enjoyed the 2015 line-up, and almost all feedback was positive. ‘Stylistically, there was everything: there were elegant wines, there were show-off wines,’ said Briccarello. ‘I would say it’s a really good, modern vintage; it’s a warm, ripe vintage,’ concluded Garner. If you’re looking for a vintage to drink over the next few years, then Brunello 2015 is a top contender.