Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino 2020

93 points James Suckling
This is a wine full of smoky and earthy tones. Dark profile on the nose with prunes, leather and vibrant cherries, as well as violets and pencil shavings. The palate is firm with medium to full body and bright cherry flavor integrated with chewy tannins and refreshing acidity.

93 points Vinous
The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a bouquet of dried strawberries and cherries elevated by hints of sweet spice and a grounding note of saddle leather. Vibrantly juicy and round, it displays depths of ripe red berry fruits contrasted by crunchy mineral tones and a touch of licorice. This finishes spicy and long, leaving a minty herbal thrust and a bitter tinge of blackberry to mingle with edgy tannins. Cerbaia found a lovely balance in this sun-kissed vintage. -Eric Guido, Nov 2023

93 points Rene Langdahl Jørgensen
Urtefrisk, hybenpulver, tranebærjuice, rød te, ruskind og friskhed. I very much like! Samtidig er der typisk let oxidativ sangiovese, det rustprægede er der og som sådan optræder den både klassisk og hypermoderne med indslag fra den ”nye friskrøde” skole. Stram struktur, krasbørstig, men klassisk tannin og bitterhed med levende rank syre og rigeligt med amaro-urter. Vellykket og mere til.

91 points Decanter
To the northwest of Montalcino, the small Cerbaia property has been run by Elena Pellegrini since 2014. She started working with highly respected consultant Giuseppe Gorelli in 2022. The 2020 release divulges the enticing and overt perfumes of the vintage. Dark bramble berry scents are matched by violet, then orange zest and alpine bitters join in on the midweight palate. While less rustic and wood-inflected than the 2019, this is still a touch chunky and dry in tannins. Nevertheless, fruit purity and cheerful buoyancy reign. I will be following the ongoing fine-tuning here.