The 2018 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli is one fo the best buys of the vintage for Brunello and is an exceptional wine that is approachable now but has the structure to age for a decade or more. Produced by Giancarlo Pacenti, who modernized the family estate in the 1980s, it comes from the 12-hectare Pelagrilli vineyard in northern Montalcino, planted with 30-year-old Sangiovese vines. The 2018 vintage, marked by a warm summer following a cool, rainy spring, required meticulous vineyard and cellar work to select only the best fruit, resulting in a refined, elegant Brunello. Fermented in stainless steel and aged 24 months in French oak, the wine shows black and blue fruit, liquid minerals, earth, and a hint of cocoa, with impeccable balance, a long finish, and all components in harmony. It's a fantastic buy for the category, and at this low pricing, it's a no-brainer!
Wine Advocate (Monica Larner) 94 points! "In an elegantly designed bottle, the Siro Pacenti 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli delivers lots of dark fruit and blackberry, and the quality of the fruit is bold, fresh and still very much alive. The house style prizes concentration and oak spice, but the detailed-minded winemaking is impeccable. The wine is structured and firm and stands apart in a crowd, but alas, it does show an unfortunate 15% alcohol content. This is a 23,000-bottle release."
Vinous (Eric Guido) 93 points! "There’s something almost animalistic about the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli, which I’m finding quite appealing. Wild blueberries, crushed violets, allspice, spiced orange rinds and hints of cocoa can all be found in the glass. The clay soils of the area impart a velvety-smooth and undeniably elegant feel, with a dense textural wave of ripe dark red fruits that coats the palate in concentration, complemented by sweet inner herbal tones and hints of lavender. Like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, the 2018 reveals a massive wall of fine-grained tannins through the finish, leaving only nuances of sour citrus and currants to linger. This untamed beast of a Brunello will require extensive cellaring to reveal all of its charms. Of note, there will be no Riserva PS bottled in this vintage, and so all of that juice was used to bolster the Pelagrilli and the Rosso. (Drink between 2026-2034)"
2018 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli
2018 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli
The 2018 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli is one fo the best buys of the vintage for Brunello and is an exceptional wine that is approachable now but has the structure to age for a decade or more. Produced by Giancarlo Pacenti, who modernized the family estate in the 1980s, it comes from the 12-hectare Pelagrilli vineyard in northern Montalcino, planted with 30-year-old Sangiovese vines. The 2018 vintage, marked by a warm summer following a cool, rainy spring, required meticulous vineyard and cellar work to select only the best fruit, resulting in a refined, elegant Brunello. Fermented in stainless steel and aged 24 months in French oak, the wine shows black and blue fruit, liquid minerals, earth, and a hint of cocoa, with impeccable balance, a long finish, and all components in harmony. It's a fantastic buy for the category, and at this low pricing, it's a no-brainer!
Wine Advocate (Monica Larner) 94 points! "In an elegantly designed bottle, the Siro Pacenti 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli delivers lots of dark fruit and blackberry, and the quality of the fruit is bold, fresh and still very much alive. The house style prizes concentration and oak spice, but the detailed-minded winemaking is impeccable. The wine is structured and firm and stands apart in a crowd, but alas, it does show an unfortunate 15% alcohol content. This is a 23,000-bottle release."
Vinous (Eric Guido) 93 points! "There’s something almost animalistic about the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli, which I’m finding quite appealing. Wild blueberries, crushed violets, allspice, spiced orange rinds and hints of cocoa can all be found in the glass. The clay soils of the area impart a velvety-smooth and undeniably elegant feel, with a dense textural wave of ripe dark red fruits that coats the palate in concentration, complemented by sweet inner herbal tones and hints of lavender. Like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, the 2018 reveals a massive wall of fine-grained tannins through the finish, leaving only nuances of sour citrus and currants to linger. This untamed beast of a Brunello will require extensive cellaring to reveal all of its charms. Of note, there will be no Riserva PS bottled in this vintage, and so all of that juice was used to bolster the Pelagrilli and the Rosso. (Drink between 2026-2034)"
