A Tale of Two Extremes: The 2020 Brunellos and 2019 Riservas

BY ERIC GUIDO | NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Additions: February 13, 2025 - 

Belpoggio, Camigliano, Celestino Pecci, Fossacolle, La Casaccia di Franceschi, Pian Delle Querci, Pinino, Poggio Nardone, San Felice - Campogiovanni, Valdicava

After over two decades of stagnation with regards to production guidelines, Montalcino recently announced a litany of changes that will significantly impact the Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG categories. The official five-star vintage rating system has received an entire overhaul. The cherry on top is the ongoing creation of a new map to be published by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino in collaboration with Master of Wine Gabriele Gorelli. Amidst all this is the release of the highly anticipated 2020 Brunellos and, of course, the 2019 Riservas. Change is afoot, and most of it is very positive, yet there are flaws and a few missed opportunities as well.

A sea of fog surrounding the town of Montalcino.

The Two-Faced 2020 Vintage

Tasting the 2020 vintage, I can’t help but be reminded of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It’s always challenging reporting on a vintage like this one because I want to be clear about my analysis without dooming all of the producers in the entire region.

People will say many things about the 2020s. Some will call them elegant. Most will say they’re energetic. They are undoubtedly aromatic and fruit-forward. Then there’s the damning phrase, “It’s a restaurant vintage.” The fact is, while restaurant vintages are certainly necessary, especially for those of us who like to drink young Brunello, that phrase also communicates to consumers that the wines simply won’t age well. I’ve witnessed time and time again that coining a year as a “restaurant vintage” means that retail sales and purchases from collectors and speculators drop off a cliff. That said, although all the things I listed above are true about the 2020s, there’s significantly more nuance in this case. 

It is a vintage with remarkably high highs and, unfortunately, very low lows. What’s more, there’s a significant disparity between producers who did a fantastic job and those who made lackluster wines that, in some cases, are very difficult to swallow (literally). This brings me back to the 2020 Rossos and a report (The Rise of Rosso di Montalcino) I wrote in October of 2022, where I stated, “[The 2022 Rossos] are rich, textural and opulent reds that boast gobs of ripe red fruit and extract. Most 2020s are so beautiful today that it’s hard to envision them getting any better, which could pose a problem for the Brunello category.” As I continued to sample the 2020 Rossos over the last two years, it became apparent that their combination of high extract, high acidity and high alcohol made them very difficult to taste. On more than one occasion, I found myself unable to get through a single glass. This issue plagues many of the 2020 Brunellos at the lower end of the score spectrum. These are big, decadent wines that lack the balance to age. In many cases, the tannins are surprisingly silky to a fault, where the wines lack the grip and framing structure on the palate that even a restaurant vintage should offer. 

So now that we’ve discussed Mr. Hyde, what about Dr. Jekyll? This is where the 2020 vintage throws the taster for a loop. Amidst all of the high-octane wines that sometimes sear the senses and are best consumed in the near term, there is another level of undeniably elegant and harmonious wines that soothe the palate and the soul. These wines offer sweet, ripe tannins and cooling acidity with a core of balanced fruit. They are graceful yet complex and impactful. So how does this happen?