Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere, San Filippo 2015

Decadent aromas of ripe fruit, such as plums and peaches with black truffles and porcini mushrooms. Full body, with layers of ripe fruit and round and chewy tannins. Lots of chocolate and fresh mushroom at the finish. A thoroughly terroir-driven red. Try after 2022.

Florentine real-estate broker Roberto Giannelli purchased San Filippo in 2003, knowing nothing about winemaking. Many sleepless nights and calls to vintner friends ensued, along with investment in the vineyards and cellar. Within a decade, the winery began producing excellent Brunello. On a plateau southeast of the town of Montalcino, San Filippo’s 25 acres of vineyards are 1,155 to 1,320 feet in elevation. The Le Lucére parcel is 6 prime acres, east-facing, with schist soils and 25-year-old vines. The wine is fermented in stainless steel, undergoes malolactic conversion in cement, then ages one year in 225-liter, 500-liter and 600-liter barrels. It spends another 14 to 16 months in large casks and one year in bottle before release.

San Filippo's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére is a denser and richer wine compared to the estate's classic Brunello from the same vintage. You get a higher caliber of black fruit and rich flavors with layers of smoke, tar and sweet tobacco at the back. Most of that extra intensity is played forward to the bouquet, however, as the mouthfeel is relatively lean and snappy. This is one of the leading characteristics of Brunello. You get a medium-weight approach with the firm structure and bright acidity to make the wine feel larger and deeper than it actually is. Drink 2021-2035.