Tasting Notes

Critic Scores:
  • 97 – Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast
  • 94 – Michaela Morris, Decanter
  • 93 – Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
  • 93 – Eric Guido, Vinous
  • 92 – Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator
The 2017 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino stands as a masterful achievement from a vintage defined by extreme Mediterranean heat, a challenge proprietor Andrea Costanti navigated by channeling all premium fruit—including what would typically become the Riserva—into this singular bottling. The result is a wine of remarkable focus and poise, presenting a deep ruby core with brilliant garnet reflections.
 
The bouquet is a sophisticated tapestry of dark-skinned berries, violets, and camphor, interwoven with savory nuances of cedar and crushed herbs.
 
On the palate, the wine reveals a linear and elegantly structured profile where fresh acidity and a distinct mineral streak provide a refreshing counterpoint to the vintage’s natural concentration. Tightly woven yet exceptionally polished tannins carry flavors of juicy Marasca cherry, blood orange, and licorice toward a long, expressive finish.
 
Leading the critical acclaim, Kerin O'Keefe of Wine Enthusiast describes it as an "extremely elegant and focused, this compelling wine defies the heat of the vintage" while maintaining the producer's signature finesse.

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