Il Palazzone Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2019
(Tuscany, Italy) - [JS 95] [VM 94] [DM 94] [WE 93] [WA 92] [JD 92]

About the Winery:
Il Palazzone was acquired by Americans Kirsten and Peter Kern in June 2021. Kirsten comes from the culinary world and her husband is Vice Chairman and CEO of Expedia Group. The previous owner, also American, was Richard Parsons, formerly of Time Warner and City Group. Kirsten and Peter Kern are passionate about Italian wine and Brunello and had long been looking for a property to buy. They are planting an additional 2.2 hectares of vines this year at a cool 580 meters above sea level. High elevation fruit is critical to maintaining freshness in the wines, especially in the face of climate change.

Harvest Notes:
2019 is a year that will be sure to be remembered thanks to a perfect phenolic and technological maturity and for the excellent quantity of grapes brought to the cellar. This vintage was everything producers look for. A sunny year, with temperatures between 30 and 35°C, and with the right amount of well distributed rain, in particular at the end of July and August, that contributed to a perfect maturity of the grapes. No frost in spring or hail storms in summer to which we have unfortunately become more accustomed to over the last few years. Also, the harvest took place smoothly during a window of time when the weather was mild and dry. Excellent vintage.

Tasting Notes:
2019 was a 5-star vintage for the Consorzio del Brunello. Solid garnet color. The nose opens with aromas of cherries and plum with nice floral and forest notes, followed by meaty hints of sweet spices. Lip-smacking and juicy on the palate, with notes of tangerine peel, red plums and strawberries, along with very elegant tannins and a good vertical structure, savoury and tasty at the back. A very long orange and chocolate finish.

Ratings & Reviews

95 Points - James Suckling:
"Black cherries and flowers, such as roses on the nose. Medium to full body with firm, silky tannins and a clear finish. Very al dente. Drink after 2027." (Sept 2023)

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is an understated beauty, slowly blossoming with rose petals, cedary spice and dried strawberries. It’s silky-smooth and pliant with a hint of sweet spice up front that gives way tie ripe red and blue fruits all carried across a wave of silken textures. Youthful tension slowly builds as mounting tannins tug at the cheeks and a cranberry crunchiness forms, yet all the while, residual acidity maintains perfect balance. Don’t let this seductress fool you, for all of her youthful charms, the best is yet to come. Drinking window 2025-2034" - Eric Guido (Nov 2023)

94 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"This Brunello is an assemblage of plots in two distinct sectors: fruit from Montalcino’s warmer, southeastern reaches near Castelnuovo dell’Abate gives density and mid-palate weight with grainy, mouth-filling tannins, while the cooler, more elevated sites around the town of Montalcino itself seem to brighten and lift the whole. From start to finish, the enchanting perfumes of the vintage pervade. Juniper, cedar, pressed rose and candied mint follow through to the palate, where juicy watermelon and strawberry take hold. It finishes with an appetising bitter herbal twistm, and while this is hard to resist, another year in the bottle will bring further cohesion." - Michaela Morris (Nov 2023)

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Cherries and red plums bloom into peonies in top soil with a whisper of fennel on the nose. Cherries, strawberries and raspberries make a very berry rich palate, with more earth and then dark chocolate on the finish. Tannins dominate acid." - Danielle Callegari (Mar 2025)

92 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The Il Palazzone 2019 Brunello di Montalcino reveals dark cherry, baked blackberry pie, spice, cola and dried flower. These aromas are delivered in swells of bold intensity that give the wine a more monotone approach. The intensity is there in full force, and the finer nuances of Sangiovese come through intermittently. The tannins are velvety, and the wine ends with rich fruit weight. It ages in large oak casks for 31 months, and 17,306 bottles were made." - Monica Lerner (Dec 2023)

92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Red/garnet-tinged, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is fresh with aromas of wild Mediterranean herbs, red cherries, bergamot, and clove. Medium-bodied, it has fine tannins and fresh, mouthwatering salinity, with even acidity and a clean finish. It’s a very charming Brunello to enjoy over the next 8-10 years." (Feb 2024)