Savory and loaded with personality, this soulful red opens with aromas of mature wild berries, camphor, new leather and forest floor. Showing surprising freshness and remarkable balance for the hot vintage, the palate has an earthy elegance, featuring juicy Marasca cherry, blood orange, crushed mint, underbrush and star anise set against a backbone of firm, crushed-velvet tannins. Drink 2024-2029.

"The Caprili 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is lovely. The wine strikes that great balance of dark fruit, rose and tar that makes Brunello unique, and it doesn't have those rough edges or stemmy tannins that you see sometimes in this undeniably hot and dry vintage. This expression remains elegant but also generous, and that's not an easy intersection to reach. This is a standout wine from 2017, despite the challenges and the lower yields obtained this year."

The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino lifts up with a deeply intriguing bouquet that mixes balsam herbs with flowery undergrowth, bright sour cherries and a hint of grapefruit peels. It's silky and round in feel, offering vibrant acids that enliven the red and black berries found within. This leaves salty minerals and sweet tannins to linger, but also keeps the mouth watering through the long and surprisingly zesty finale. While I wouldn't call this a classic Brunello, it is a successful expression of the 2017 vintage.