2016 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany 750 ml

The last time we offered a Conti Costanti Brunello, it was an instant Wine Access classic, a showstopping bottle that members adorned with a perfect 5.0 rating. As in, Brunello lovers could hardly imagine it getting any better. 

Today, it does. This 2016 comes with an even higher critical score. More specifically, the estate’s highest score ever for this cuvée, a massive 99-point rating from Wine Enthusiast, making it one of the publication’s top five Brunellos of 2016—a vintage that’s regarded across the board as one of the greatest in Brunello history. 

That kind of territory is rife with collectors looking to stock their cellars, and today’s price is one that makes it easy. We have just 44 cases, and Wine Access Brunello devotees are already circling the waters.

“This wine is a striking example of near-perfection,” said Master Sommelier Sur Lucero. “It’s incredibly precise and persistent with absolutely gorgeous purity.” On the palate, red and black fruit give way to intricate notes of dried orange peel, smoked cranberry, braised rhubarb, and licorice. After an hour decant, the palate shows impressive depth, volume, and fine tannins, so enticing that “you can’t help but pour another glass of this simply spellbinding Brunello,” said Vinous. 

That 99-point review from Wine Enthusiast—which includes Cellar Selection honors—called this 2016 a “savory stunner,” that’s “all about precision.” It’s deeply complex, but “so seamlessly put together that it’s almost a shame to try teasing it apart,” said Decanter. And if you can refrain from popping the cork right away, it’ll gain further complexity over the next two decades. 

The Costanti family, whose roots go all the way back to 15th-century Siena, is one of the longest-established families in Montalcino—and they’ve crafted some of the region’s most unforgettable Brunellos for six generations. Their property is a half-mile from Biondi Santi and Pian dell’Orino, harnessing galestro soils and 1,300 feet of elevation to craft wines that challenge those heavyweights for best Brunello honors every year. 

The wines made under the watchful eye of Andrea Costanti since he took over in 1983 have consistently been the standards against which many others are judged, and by which the quality of a vintage is often gauged. Costanti achieves this level of ballet-like grace by maintaining a deep respect for his family’s land, where roughly 30 acres of vines grow in tandem with olive trees. 

Costanti’s Brunellos age 18 months in Slavonian oak barrels, 18 months in French tonneaux, and at least 12 months in bottle, gaining depth and polish. Harnessing that remarkable terroir and winemaking regimen has turned out a captivating wine, a benchmark in an all-time-great vintage.