Le Chiuse 2018 Brunello di Montalcino
Item Number: 23 30 326 18
Le Chiuse 2018 Brunello di Montalcino
99 Point Extremely Rare and Elite Brunello!
Quick Taste
- 99 Points
- Small, Single Vineyard
- Fruit was source for Biondi-Santi Riserva
- 'this is an absolute stunner'
- Highly Allocated!
About Le Chiuse 2018 Brunello di Montalcino
Le Chiuse was originally part of the Biondi-Santi Estate dating back to the late 18th century. Handed down over the years to the current owner, Simonetta Valiani who is the great granddaughter of Ferruccio Biondi-Santi. Simonetta decided to start producing wine under the Le Chiuse name in 1993 with the help of her husband, Nicolò Magnelli and their son, Lorenzo. Until then, the vineyards were rented to her uncle, Franco Biondi-Santi, which were at the time used for Biondi-Santi’s Riserva bottling.
On this tiny 14-acre vineyard, budwood from 60-70 year old vines of the BS 11 Sangiovese clone, personally selected by Tancredi Biondi-Santi, is grafted onto American rootstock.All of the fruit is harvested by hand, and carefully selected at the winery sorting table. Grapes are crushed and transferred to tank by gravity followed by a 18 days maceration with natural yeasts. The wine aged 3 years in large Allier and Slavonian oak barrels followed by 2 years in bottle.
99 Points, Kerin O'Keefe
Le Chiuse 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is fragrant, radiant and practically bursting with finesse. Made with organically grown grapes, this is an absolute stunner, offering enticing scents of woodland berry, forest floor, blue flower, eucalyptus and culinary spice. It’s energized and linear, delivering delicious layers of flavor including juicy red cherry, cinnamon, black tea and blood orange accompanied by taut, extremely refined tannins and vibrant acidity. Already showing beautifully, it also has the intensity and radiance to age well for 20 years or more. Drink 2024–2038.
97 Points Jeb Dunnuck
Expressive and beautifully pure, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino offers a gorgeous, sweet perfume of perfectly ripe raspberry eau de vie, crushed roses, delicate baking spice, and well-integrated cedar spice. It is medium-bodied, though it is generous and round with fruit in a long arch, fine tannins, and a soft, stony, mineral texture. Polished with more ripe raspberry, oolong tea, and fresh thyme, it is approachable now but will certainly improve over the next 15-20 years.
94 Points Wine Advocate
Released in numbered bottles, the Le Chiuse 2018 Brunello di Montalcino (a certified organic wine with fruit sourced from across six hectares) shows punchy and bright aromas that recall dried grape skins or fermentation aromas. It suggests an open or immediate personality. There is a pleasant rawness or authenticity presented here with black cherry, plum, blue flower, cola and rusty nail. This is a true expression from a warm vintage that delivers mid-weight texture and well-managed tannins. It concludes with a hint of sweet cherry liqueur. I tasted number 192 of 18,300 bottles produced.
94 Points Decanter
In leaner vintages like 2018, Lorenzo Magnelli likes to do a bit of bleeding of the must to lend a touch of fruit concentration but this hasn’t denatured the slightly sinewy, linear character of the year. Aromas are earthy and herbal rather than fruity, with fragrant tobacco, roasted coffee and black tea. Confidently extracted, it is decidedly firm but not dry, with crisp forest berries and a juicy core lurking underneath. It finishes with spiced currants. Plenty of promise for the next decade or so
94 Points James Suckling
I like the savory olive, oregano and iodine undertones to the sour cherry and plum fruit. Baking spices, too. Fresh and layered with very finely-knit tannins, bright acidity and a medium to full body. It’s all in balance. Drinkable already, but better after 2023.
93 Points Vinous
The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is youthfully coy and a bit reductive at first. Swirling brings about nuances of dusty rose, dried cherries, flowery underbrush and hints of animal musk. It glides across the palate with finesse, impressing more on its purity of fruit, petty inner florals and delicate nature than power. The 2018 finishes with medium length, showing sweet inner herbal tones, a twang of sour citrus and a gentle tug of fine tannin. This is such an understated beauty.
Wine Details
- Alcohol % 14.0%
- Bottle Size 750 ml
- Wine Type Red
- Country Italy
- Appellation Brunello di Montalcino
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