The wines of Donatella Cinelli Colombini are always something of a homecoming for me as I vividly remember my first sips almost 20 years ago. It is a great honor to witness their evolution over all these years. The estate's winning card is consistency, with steady results delivered year in and year out, although the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino takes the game up a notch. This wine offers purity and brightness to a degree I don't remember seeing in past vintages. This Brunello fully embraces the sharpness and linearity that this classic vintage will be celebrated for. Red cherry fruit and fresh plum follow to earthy tones, leather and balsam herb. This vintage counts 35,000 bottles made.- ML

There is plenty of ripe black cherry, black currant and plum fruit buried within the muscular structure of this red. Balanced, vibrant and resonant, with a long earth- and mineral-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2024 through 2047. — B.S.

I’m finding a depth and richness in the 2016 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino that I haven’t witnessed from this bottling in previous vintages. The bouquet sets the stage with a mix of crushed black cherries, plums, incense and exotic brown spices. It’s silky, almost creamy in texture, finding balance through juicy acids, as purple-tinged red and black fruits flesh out, leaving tactile mineral tones under an inner air of lavender and violets. This maintains perfect poise in spite of a larger-scaled feel, tapering off to a coating of fine tannins with hints of black tea and dark chocolate. -- Eric Guido

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s vineyards are located on the northwestern slopes of Montalcino. In 2016, grapes were harvested during the last week of September, fermented in cement with yeast selected from the property, and aged in small French oak barrels. Decidedly savoury, it leads with aromas of coffee, mocha, rust and chestnut. While its flavours suggest a readiness to drink, dusty compact tannins clamp down and could use a bit of time to relax their grip. Dried orange peel on the finish helps revive the wine.

Forest-floor, blue-flower and French oak aromas form the nose. The polished palate offers tart sour cherry, French oak and star anise alongside taut, fine-grained tannins that leave a firm, rather drying finish. - Kerin O’Keefe