Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva "PS" 2019
(Tuscany, Italy) - [JS 97] [WA 95+] [VM 95] [WS 94]

About the Winery:
Siro Pacenti started his eponymous estate in 1970 with the purchase of a five-hectare vineyard in the Canalicchio district just to the north of Montalcino. Named Pelagrilli, this vineyard also gives its name to their flagship wine. Since then the estate has grown to 60 hectares, but less than a third of that is given over to vineyards. The rest is olive groves and cereal fields, as has been the tradition here for literally thousands of years.  Less than 50,000 total bottles are produced in a given year, an absolutely tiny quantity by Montalcino standards, almost all (95%) is exported. 

Siro’s son Giancarlo Pacenti took the reins in 1988 and quickly established the estate as one of the leading names in the region.  Trained in Bordeaux, he fuses the best of modern cellar technology with progressive farming techniques, including biodynamic practices. The aim here is to arrive at the purest possible expression of the land.

Giancarlo insists on new oak for reasons of cleanliness: he emphatically does not want vanilla or clove flavors in his wines. The wood for his barrels is seasoned at least twenty years and barrels are given a very light toast. The Brunelli are bottled after 2 years in barrel to preserve freshness and avoid excessive oak influence (the Rosso spends 1 year in barrel).

About this Wine:
A rare and unforgettable wine, PS Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is only made in exceptional vintages. 100% of the fruit is sourced from the original parcel of vines at Pelagrilli, north of Montalcino village. Rigorous sorting of the berries produced by the already low-yielding vines resulted in just 1,800 bottles of wine in the 2019 vintage. 30 months in custom-made French barriques was followed by 2 months in concrete and 24 months in bottle. The winery did not produce another Riserva until the 2022 vintage, which will be ready for release in 2028.

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling: 
"Dark and complex, showing intense graphite minerality on the nose allied to lush blood-orange character, raspberries and violets. The oak is judicious. Precise on the palate with a supple attack, full body and a juicy yet integrated acidity. The broad, extracted tannins are dense and ripe all the way to the citrusy finish. Needs three to five years to open and come together." (Dec 2024) 

95+ Points - Wine Advocate:
"The Siro Pacenti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS opens to an inky black appearance. The bouquet is very intense with baritone aromas of syrupy blackberry, barbecue spice, sweet cedar, toasted wood, baked fruit and savory tobacco. To the palate, it shows a rich, glossy finish with firm tannins and a tightly knit texture that should bode well for future cellaring. In fact, the mouthfeel is so intensely stitched together, it's to the point of feeling polished. I must hand it to vintner Giancarlo Pacenti for the elegance of the mouthfeel on this very, very bold Riserva (with only 2,000 bottles produced)." - Monica Larner (Nov 2024)

95 Points - Vinous Media:
"Mentholated herbs mix with exotic spice, tobacco and crushed ashen stones as the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS blossoms in the glass. This is sleek and youthfully slender, with tart wild berry fruits and hints of sour citrus that flow across a stream of cooling acidity. It finishes structured and impossibly long, leaving a pleasantly tart cranberry concentration that pinches at the cheeks. There's significantly more energy and verve embodied in the 2019 Riserva than is typical. It should be fascinating to watch it mature over time. (Drink between 2028-2038)" - Eric Guido (Nov 2024)

94 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Shows muscle in the form of robust tannins that frame the flavors of black cherry, blackberry, mineral, eucalyptus and tar. Awkward, and the tannins dominate the finish today, yet there's a core of ripe fruit, and this is persistent on the finish. One to enjoy with grilled steak or lamb. Best from 2029 through 2045. 167 cases made, 75 cases imported." - Bruce Sanderson (Jun 2025)