Gianni Brunelli 2017 Le Chiuse di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany

96 pts Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is beautifully bright and stitched up with extreme focus and sharpness. Sangiovese has this gorgeous ability to show linearity and lift, but it remains elegant and tight at the same time. This wine accomplishes all of this, and that's saying a lot given the heat and drought of this vintage. The acidity is bright and the finish is long and smooth with citrusy end notes of blood orange followed by wild rose and lilac. Fruit comes from a 4.5-hectare site with sand and galestro soils. Production is exactly 15,014 bottles. Maria Laura Vacca Brunelli and her team harvested about one week early in 2017 to capture that varietal freshness. Drink: 2024-2040. (Feb 2022)"

94 pts Decanter: "Proprietor Laura Vacca has crafted one of the top wines of the vintage from her high-altitude vineyards in the southeast- and northwest-facing plots just north of the town of Montalcino. It illustrates the warmth and dryness of the vintage without sacrificing precision or depth. Starting with macerated blueberry and cedar, this moves through marjoram, tarragon and fennel tea. It spreads across the palate sumptuously, dripping with dark wild forest berries. Soft, powdery tannins provide framework while uplifting acidity carries it all, finishing with concentrated citrus peel. Drinking Window: 2023-2030. (Nov 2021)"

94 pts Wine Enthusiast: "Aromas of ripe black-skinned fruit, tar and tobacco mingle with aromas of dark spice, coconut and new leather. On the full-bodied, enveloping palate, smooth, fine-grained tannins weave through mature Morello cherry, crushed black raspberry, licorice and camphor framed in firm, refined tannins. It closes on a hint of espresso. Drink: 2025–2032. (Apr 2022)"