2020 Costanti Brunello di Montalcino
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98
Kerin O'Keefe
Reviewed November 2024The 2020 Brunello from Costanti is an absolute stunner. All about fragrance, flavor and finesse, the elegant palate opens with captivating aromas of iris, violet, perfumed berry, dark spice, whiffs of forest floor and eucalyptus that on the palate transform into wild cherry, raspberry compote, licorice, grilled rosemary and truffle. Tightly knit, velvety tannins provide seamless support while fresh acidity provides impeccable balance. A salty note lingers on the persistent finish.
Professional Reviews
97
Decanter
When I tried Costanti’s 2020 Rosso in 2022, Andrea described the vintage as better suited for Brunello given the high dry extract and sturdy structure. Indeed, his 2020 Brunello is one of the vintage’s anomalies. It possesses rare profundity and decisiveness of tannins. The nose invites with plum blossom, dark currants, mint and an earthy undertow. Upfront tannins are substantial, grainy and crisp, and the sour cherry and cranberry core soars from the depths bringing bitter cocoa, coffee and alpine herbs along for the ride. Juicy acidity rings out and a distinct saltiness permeates the finish. Nevertheless, it is that unwavering backbone that currently commands, promising a long life ahead. (MM)
95
Vinous
The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino clocks in at 14.4% alcohol, the highest alcohol level ever achieved at the winery. It's also the most concentrated wine Andrea Costanti has ever produced, boasting high levels of dry extract and polyphenols, all balanced by a significant 5.8 grams per liter of residual acidity. This is a vibrant and complex effort, bursting with aromas of crushed cherries, autumnal spices, cedar and dried blood oranges. It's juicy and concentrated on the palate, with layers of tart red berries and crunchy mineral tones. Bracing acidity adds a lively, spicy edge while it finishes long and resonant, with sweet-and-sour notes and lingering hints of licorice. This will undoubtedly benefit from further aging. (EG)
94
Wine Advocate
From galestro-rich soils, the Conti Costanti 2020 Brunello di Montalcino offers a full bouquet of sweet fruit and spice. The wine is plump and rich in personality with sweet tannins and some phenolic heft due to the warm growing conditions. However, its velvety texture and full-bodied approach offer enough padding to smooth it over. (ML)
Staff Reviews
OC
Review Date: 08/2025
The 2020 Costanti Brunello di Montalcino is a stunner, a profound and stellar wine from one of the region's most historic estates. The Costanti family name is woven into the very fabric of Brunello’s history—it was Tito Costanti who first presented a bottle labeled "Brunello" back in 1869. Today, under Andrea Costanti's guidance, the estate remains a benchmark for classic, age-worthy, and deeply soulful Sangiovese.
What I love about Costanti is their unwavering commitment to tradition. In an era when many producers moved toward French oak to appeal to international markets, Costanti held firm, aging their wine only in large Slavonian casks. This was a move that paid off spectacularly. This Brunello sings in your glass with an energy and purity that is second to none.
The 2020 vintage is a year of concentration and structure, but it’s blessed with a generosity of fruit that makes it incredibly compelling right now. Where the 2019 was defined by its taut, acidic spine, the 2020 is all about its plush texture and deep, dark fruit, all while retaining that classic Costanti structure. It isn't a simple, fruit-forward Brunello; it’s a perfectly poised wine that offers both immediate pleasure and a long future.
Sourced from their prized vineyards on the galestro-rich slopes of Colle al Matrichese, this wine is fermented with native yeasts and aged in a way that lets the terroir speak.
So, is this a Brunello for the patient collector or one to enjoy now? The beauty of the 2020 is that it's both. Its polished tannins and inviting aromas make it accessible today, but its deep core promises a long evolution. I have a feeling that in a decade, when we taste the 2019 and 2020 side-by-side, this wonderfully generous 2020 will be the vintage that truly surprises and delights. It's a must-have.
AH
Aaron Hughes
Review Date: 08/2025Aaron Hughes
There's this absolute purity of fruit that you get from a few things done really well, and one of them is masterfully crafted Brunello di Montalcino made traditionally. That is not using new oak, but only larger formats that add in a wanted neutral oak roundness to the wines while not adding the typical oaky flavors one thinks of. This is so pure and pretty and with a decant and a few hours, swishing now and then if you really want to be more interactive with your decanting experience, it will open up and show you exactly what you've been waiting for. Even at just 5 years old, this is already showing aromatically super well and like many of the 2020's I've tasted so far there's already a real approachability starting to take place. There's juicy red cherries, plum flesh, a little touch of baked strawberry, and then something a little crunchier on the fringes along with a little bit of something floral. The palate is definitely this side of crunchy, pie cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, and then also some slightly underripe raspberry. The tannins are firm, but really well integrated and already starting to feel a bit rounder than you would expect. That being said, I personally would still consider laying this down for a while, it's going to turn from something beautiful into something mind-blowing, but with that healthy decant this would work exceptionally well with some richer foods. This is really delicious and a fantastic deal at this price from a producer with this sort of reputation. I advise casing up and then drinking one a year until you've decided they're perfect and then move it to one a month. It's just really nice to have something like this to look forward to.
PR
Philip Roufail
Review Date: 08/2025Philip Roufail
Yummy, yummy, yummy! Big, bold, muscular, the 2020 Conti Costanti Brunello de Montalcino is a K&L Direct Import (translation: unbelievable pricing) from the 2020 "winemaker's vintage." What does that mean? That means nature was uncooperative and the skills of the viticulturists in the vineyard and the winemaker's in the cellar were essential to bringing out the best qualities of the vineyard. Fortunately, the result has been aromatic balanced wines with zippy acidity and supple tannins. When I poured a glass of the Constanti I could smell the black licorice from across the room. Fresh and balanced, the Brunello is loaded with dusted black cherries, violets, wet stone, Italian herbs, roasted tomato, and chewy tannins on the finish, showing that this 2020 Brunello will age for another 10-15 years!
Notes
Proprietor Andrea Costanti believes that the trio of vintages 2019, 2020 and 2021 are among the best ever made. In addition to the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino tasted here, I had the chance to preview a taste of the 2021 and the 2022 vintages during my visit to the winery. The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a rich textural fiber with dark fruit flavors. The baby 2022 Brunello di Montalcino was born in a hot and dry year and appears quite vertical and punchy at this time. Final reviews of these wines will be rolled out over the next two years after the respective vintages have been bottled.
Details
| Origin | Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy |
|---|---|
| Type/Varietal | Sangiovese |
| Alcohol Content | 14% |
| SKU | 1914687 |