San Filippo
95 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2012
A dense, backward red, with plenty of cherry, plum, spice and eucalyptus flavors, a broad swath of tannins and juicy acidity. San Filippo, Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2013 95 - As much savory as fruity, this o ers a ne balance between cherry, leather, spice and carob aromas and avors. Rich yet lively, leaving a mouthwatering impression on the long, saline aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2035.—B.S.
97 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2015
Effusive aromas of black currant, blueberry, violet and iron mark this expressive red. Supple and harmonious, with a firm backbone of tannins that are refined and integrated. Shows terrific length and complexity. Best from 2023 through 2043. 1,300 cases made, 650 cases imported. — BS
96 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2012
A broad, mouthfilling style, boasting black cherry, plum, leather, chocolate and spice aromas and flavors. A riper style, yet not soft, with more support from dense tannins than acidity. Finishes with a dusty aftertaste of tobacco and graphite. Best from 2021 through 2034. 500 cases made.
97 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2013
A lush, velvety texture signals this fruity red, featuring compelling cherry, strawberry and violet flavors. Lively and fresh, with dusty tannins melding with the vivid acidity and rich fruit on the lingering aftertaste. Very pure and alluring, this is enjoyable now with decanting. Drink now through 2038. From Italy.—B.S.
93 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO SAN FILIPPO 2013
Sweet plum and cherry flavors course through this round, fleshy red, with supporting roles from earth, spice and tobacco notes. Balanced yet firm enough, with excellent freshness on the long finish. Best from 2021 through 2035. 1,000 cases made, 500 cases imported. –BS
90 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO SAN FILIPPO 2014
This red offers a combination of mint, eucalyptus, wild herb, iron and macerated cherry flavors. Sleek and racy, yet hangs together nicely and finishes long. Drink now through 2032. 600 Cases made 400, cases imported.
95 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO SAN FILIPPO 2015
Fruity and elegant, with cherry, strawberry, floral and mineral notes plying the lacy texture. Shows terrific balance and complexity. There is no shortage of structure and the finish blazes a path to glory. Best from 2022 through 2042. 1,500 cases made, 700 cases imported. — BS
94 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2013
Bright red. Perfumed aromas and flavors of pink flowers, sour red cherry and strawberry. Fresh and juicy but also dense and deep, this boasts captivating sugar-acid-tannin balance. Finishes long and perfumed; despite its sneaky concentration and size, it also has a light-on-its-feet quality that is very typical of this wine.
92 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2015
Moderately saturated red. Stony aromas and flavors of candied violet, red plum, ripe red cherry jam and herbs on the inviting nose. Youthfully chewy and saline on the ripe but long finish that features good acid lift and polished tannins. This ought to develop very nicely.
92 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2012
Deep ruby-red; I’m not sure Brunello needs to be this deep in color. Rich, ripe aromas and flavors of fresh blackberry, red cherry pie and blueberry nectar are complemented by a strong dollop of vanilla. The finish is long, creamy and suave but will leave the hairs in your nostrils singed by considerable alcohol-derived heat (the label reports 15.5% alcohol, and you won’t have any trouble believing it). Despite its excesses, this is an outstanding wine. Personally, I much prefer the non-riserva Brunello Le Lucére, but I can see how some people might prefer this bigger, darker wine.
93 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2013
Bright red with a pale rim. Pungently floral and spicy notes of cardamom and rose complicate red cherry aromas and flavors. Boasts a steely backbone and a very fresh, piercing personality. The long, very flinty finish showcases an enticing rising quality with aeration.
92 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2014
Bright red. The pristine nose offers hints of violet, pomegranate, red cherry and minerals. Then juicy fresh and dense, with lovely clarity and cut to the taut, bright perfumed flavors similar to the aromas. Finishes long with noteworthy mineral presence.
89 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2015
Very deep red. Ripe aromas and Flavors of red cherry, coffee, herbs and tar. Starts smooth and fleshy, then turns increasingly spicy and chewy, with noteworthy alcohol-derived octanes on the long close. I like this big ripe wine’s start better than how it finishes.
98 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2012
This is an incredible 2012 with fantastic depth, richness, focus and tension. Full body, polished and velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Goes on for minutes. Better in 2020 but a joy to taste now. One of the wines of the vintage.
96 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2013
Subtle and complete aromas of cherry, flowers, and orange peel. Full body, round and velvety tannins. So pretty and refined. Polished. A gorgeous wine. Drink or hold.
100 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 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.
98 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2016
This is rich and very linear at the same time, with cherry, tile, walnut and light chocolate aromas. Some mahogany. Very complex. Full-bodied, yet tight and reserved with a very, very long finish. Really gorgeous. Try after 2025.
98 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2012
Wow. This is really fantastic with outstanding depth of fruit and ripe and silky tannins. So much blueberry and cedar character with hints of flowers. Full body, fine tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Lovely balance to this wine. Better after 2022 but already exciting to taste.
98 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2013
Lots of smoke, ash and dried-flower aromas to the ripe fruit and richness that follow through to a full body, intense and richly ripe tannins and a long, flavorful finish. A wine with lots of tannins and fruit to age for a long time. Try in 2021.
99 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2015
The opulence and decadence is really something here with dried fruit, figs, meat and black truffles on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied, layered and creamy with intense, round tannins and a finish that lasts for minutes. Best after 2022, but already a joy to taste.
92 -BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO SAN FILIPPO 2013
Riper style with dried berry character that turns to flowers. Full body, very fruity with tannins that are covered with plum and cherry flavors. A friendly and opulnet red. Drink or hold.
93 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO SAN FILIPPO 2014
There’s beautiful sangiovese character in the nose here with dried flowers, cherries and violets. Subtle and enticing. Similar flavors with a medium body, integrated tannins and a fresh and bright finish. Very harmonious for this year. Better in 2021, but already very pretty.
98 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO SAN FILIPPO 2015
The transparency of fruit to this wine is so pretty with sliced black cherries and orange peel. Fresh and aromatic. Full body. Tight and polished with ultra-fine tannins and an intense and focused finish. A beauty. Drink after 2022.
96 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO SAN FILIPPO 2016
A serene and intensely structured Brunello with cherry, cedar, walnut and dry-earth aromas with some burnt-lemon undertones. Full-bodied, yet with very fine tannins that are extremely polished and beautiful. Goes on for minutes. A gorgeous young wine. Try after 2023.
92 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2015
The San Filippo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino walks across the palate with light and carefree footsteps. The wine is crisp and lean with classic Sangiovese aromas of wild berry fruit, forest floor, bitter almond and pressed blue violets. The wine remains mild-mannered in the mouth with silky tannins and a pretty spot of freshness on the close. With this wine, you get an immediate and accessible Brunello that could be great in the near term on your local restaurant list.
93 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2016
The San Filippo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino offers a slightly exotic personality with smoked cedar, mahogany or teak followed by dark fruit, pressed blackberry and plum. The wine ages in large oak cask for two years. This is a robustly textured and muscular Brunello with full-bodied intensity that transcends both the bouquet and the mouthfeel. There's a lot going on, especially in terms of the wine's smokiness and spiciness, and there is good acidity and tannic structure to frame it all. Production is 15,000 bottles.
94 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2012
This is a terrific wine from San Filippo. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére is plush and rich in all the right places. It opens to a generous bouquet with tones of dark fruit and spice that contrast each other nicely. The wine straddles a position between primary aromas (directly from the fruit) and secondary aromas (derived from oak aging). The effect is well balanced and the intensity of the wine feels brighter and more harmonious as a result. The mouthfeel is compact and firm. It wine shows good persistence in terms of finish.
91 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2013
San Filippo's 2013 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére is a single-vineyard wine that shows a greater level of precision and distinction compared to the Annata version from this estate. You get a lot more definition and intensity here. Dried fruit aromas of blackberry and black currant lead to dry aromas of smoke and spice. The finish shows long, fine grains of texture. The wine should flesh out further with a few more years of cellar evolution.
94 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2015
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 !avors 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 "rm structure and bright acidity to make the wine feel larger and deeper than it actually is.
94+ - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2016
This special selection of fruit from San Filippo is characterized by more intensity and concentration compared to the estate's classic Brunello. In this vintage, I also discovered a greater level of Sangiovese purity and direction, thanks to tight berry tones, dusty mineral, spice and balsam herb. To the palate, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére delivers succulent fruit and even a touch of sweetness, all powered by tannins, clearly driven by both the oak and the fruit itself. This wine ages in a combination of barrique, tonneau and botte grande for two years. This 14,000-bottle release will hit the market in January 2021.
93 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2012
This wine pours from the bottle with deep, dark intensity. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva le Lucére shows thick extraction and deep concentration of dark fruit, cherry marmalade and blackberry preserves. Black prune and dried fig also play supporting roles, with a strong showing by exotic spice and savory tobacco. This is a Big Brunello with two capital Bs. It ages in small oak barrel for 14 months and then does another 16 months of aging in botte grande. It shows thick textural richness in the mouth.
93 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2013
This is a beautiful wine that is endowed with an impressive sense of depth and solid inner power or momentum. The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva le Lucére takes a few minutes longer to open in the glass, but once it does it puts on quite a display. This is a darkly saturated expression with a full-bodied approach that displays both rich textural fiber and integrated tannic structure. Aromas include black cherry, plum, spice and tar. There is a point of fruity sweetness in the mouth that only adds to an overall impression of volume and power. A mere 2,600 bottles were made.
94 - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE RISERVA 2015
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva le Lucére reveals rich and well- concentrated fruit with blackberry, prune and plum. The bouquet also has a moment of scorched earth or toasted oak that is quite developed and, to my palate, subtracts from the purity of the fruit. The oak is heavily applied (and I am reminded of American oak). This Riserva ages in barrique, tonneau and botte grande for two years and fruit is drawn from an east-facing vineyard with clay galestro and alberese soils. It is only made in the best years, and this edition saw 4,000 bottles produced. There are soft cherry notes on the !nish.