2019 Siro Pacenti Brunello VV
99 points James Suckling: "Black cherries, lavender, black mushrooms, lead pencil and violets on the nose. Full-bodied with a powerful and polished tannin structure that follows through to the very end. Pure, silky texture. Fascinating aftertaste of ripe fruit, yet it’s fresh and tense. Some orange peel, too. Glorious at the end. So well crafted and pointed. This needs another three to five years to integrate but already extremely impressive. (11/28/23)"
96 points Falstaff Guide: "Rich ruby with a fine garnet rim. Initially shows slightly earthy notes on the nose, some rust, then lots of black cherry and blackberry, fine savouriness. Full-bodied and firm on the palate, shows plenty of grippy tannins, juicy berry fruit, then slightly drying on the finish, still needs ageing. Alcohol 15.5%. (3/22/24)"
95+ points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "[$190 list] Showing an inky dark appearance and made with old-vine fruit, the Siro Pacenti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne has a note of baked blackberry pie with the crust, raspberry preserves, barbecue smoke, cigar box and every other rather extreme aromatic description you could apply to a heavily barrique-aged red wine. It's overblown for sure, especially at this young age, but experience teaches us that Siro Pacenti's wines need time, lots of time, before all the elements fall into palace. The alcohol is registered at 15%, and there are jackhammer tannins to close. Drink: 2027-2048. (12/14/23)"
95 points Wine Spectator: "A darker expression of the vintage, this red sports black cherry, blackberry, iron, tar and tobacco aromas and flavors. Dense and muscular, yet with vibrant acidity that keeps this long and focused. The tannins are resonant, and the lasting impression is of sweet fruit. Best from 2026 through 2042. (Mar 2024)"
95 points Eric Guido (Vinous): "The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is intense, bursting from the glass with a blend of rosemary and spiced blood orange before evolving to show dried black cherries and hints of incense. This flows across the palate with velvety textures complicated by tactile mineral tones and zesty acidity as cool-toned red and black fruits slowly saturate. A web of fine-grained tannins envelops the senses as the 2019 finishes dramatically long and staining, leaving traces of cedary spice and inner rose to linger on and on. This is a formidable VecchieVigne that will pay dividends in the cellar. Drink: 2026-2039. (Dec 2023)"