2020 Bramante Cosimi Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

There are a lot of reasons why the 2020 Bramante Cosimi Brunello should be more expensive

Bramante Cosimi is made by winemaker Rudy Cosimi from his family’s estate, Il Poggiolo, which sits west of Biondi-Santi ($280) and just north of Le Ragnaie ($85). It’s an absolutely prime location south of the town of Montalcino. They don’t produce much wine, either—it’s hard to find the Bramante Cosimi Brunello on these shores.

In a fantastic vintage like 2020—which Robb Report declared to be “One of the Best of the Century”—we grabbed every bottle we could. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate said that “I could not be more pleased with 2020 Brunello di Montalcino…These are the wines I want to drink.”

When Roberto Cosimi produced his first bottle of Brunello, there were only 28 producers of Brunello di Montalcino. Amazingly that wasn’t that long ago: He founded the estate in 1971.

Roberto had been working selling farm equipment, and he saved up his money until he could afford to buy a small piece of land just south of the town of Montalcino itself—property values were a lot lower in the early ‘70s. He ended up with a property he ended up naming Il Poggiolo, “The Balcony,” in reference to its high elevation, which endows the muscular Sangiovese Grosso clone with a layer of refinement and elegance.

Now, Roberto’s son Rudy makes the wines and runs the estate. The wines have never been better—especially considering the standout 2020 vintage.

In 2020, warm, sun-drenched summer days followed the mild spring, while cool nights preserved crucial acidity. September brought gentle rains at precisely the right moment, allowing the Sangiovese to achieve exceptional phenolic ripeness without sacrificing structure. B