The best Lisini since the transcendent 2016- one of PRIMA’s Wines of the Year, the 2019 is a stunner! As good as any in the appellation.

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There are few other estates in Montalcino with roots as deep as Lisini’s. The Lisini-Clementi family has owned property in the area since the sixteenth century, and the historic tower and loggia, landmarks in the area, were begun in the 1300s. The first Sangiovese vines were planted here in the 1930s, well before the Brunello di Montalcino appellation was even a gleam in anyone’s eye. And Lisini wasn’t just one of the founding members of the Consorzio di Brunello in 1967: The late Elina Lisini, the head of the family until her passing in 2009, was its first and only female president in 1970!  Today, the estate totals roughly 150 hectares that surround the ancient farmhouse and winery, and brothers Carlo and Lorenzo, along with cousin Ludovica, continue the traditions of their forbearers. This includes not just the production of wine—which is based entirely on the noble Sangiovese grape—but also of olive oil. Their location, in the hills surrounding Sant’Angelo in Colle, in the southwest corner of Montalcino, is one of the prime spots in the appellation and their twenty or so hectares of vineyards sit at an average elevation of 350 meters above sea level.  They open to the south, facing the broad Maremma plain of Tuscany, making their land drier and better ventilated than most other locations more landlocked than Lisini.  Vinification here is very traditional.  The grapes are fermented in glass-lined cement tanks with skin contact for around 24 days. The wine is then transferred to large old casks of varying sizes for 42 months, followed by 6 to 8 months of bottle age prior to release.  In the best harvests, only 3000 cases of Brunello are made but, more often, a lot less, 2500 in 2019.  The 2019 is a true classic in the making. Compared to the intensely fruited, ultra-intense 2016, the 2019  has a sleek classicism about it.  Elegance is an elusive attribute in Montalcino but here is a red that manages the dramatic tension between finesse and raw power about as well as it can be done in these arid, warm hills.  It’s a deep, broad, beautifully structured Brunello of considerable proportion and polish.  It’s a ‘wow’ wine.   Drink it now, decanted well in advance, with a classic grilled Bistecca Fiorentina, but this is really a cellaring proposition.  Find a dark space for it and give it some time!  An outstanding Lisini.

Wine Spectator: Leafy underbrush, earth and dusty mineral notes frame the core of cherry and raspberry flavors in this succulent red, which is supple, with a layer of chewy, chalky tannins coating the finish. Balanced overall, with a long, cherry-infused aftertaste. 97 points

Decanter: Below the town of Sant'Angelo in Colle, Lisini sprawls over 120 hectares, 24 of which are planted to vines. The 2019 embodies this warm, munificent, exotically scented southern stretch of Montalcino. Ripe arbutus berry and red rose meld marvelously with chestnut, iron and sunbaked earth. Sumptuously textured, it is generous in body and flavour, exuding fleshy persimmon and ripe strawberry. The palate drips with luscious acidity and a mineral drive lifts the core. Sandy tannins are relatively supple without sacrificing their commanding hold, and it finishes with crushed allspice. 96 points

Vinous: Medicinal blackberries, sweet sage, stone dust and candied oranges define the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino. This is juicy and vibrant with violet and lavender-tinged wild berry fruits and chalky mineral tones that form a saturation of minerality toward the close. A web of fine-grained tannins resonates as the 2019 finishes long and staining yet feels only lightly structured. Salted licorice suggestions linger on. This is a classy southern Montalcino Brunello from Lisini. 94 points