Hi Folks,
We spent the end of the year that cannot be mentioned trumpeting the exhilarating quality and depth of the 2016 vintage from Barolo. All-time GOATness. We also examined in detail the fabulous 2016 Super Tuscans. Well, the somewhat slow brother has finally come ashore. 2016 Brunello's are SENSATIONAL. Stunning wines with tremendous depth that are "like a well-muscled black stallion in its prime" yet retain striking elegance. We are going to handpick them for you to stick in your cellar. 100% Sangiovese, Brunello, by Italian law, cannot be released until 5 years after harvest (Riserva is six years). To start off this TSUNAMI of greatness let's rock out the wines from a name we know and love; TALENTI.Standing out in the pack is the second-ever bottling of Talenti's Brunello Piero, a benchmark for this historic vintage, and perhaps the greatest wine ever made at this iconic estate. With only 100 or so cases coming into the US, these will move quickly. Talenti Brunello normale is, without question, one of the best pure value Brunello's on the market. ALSO, we are offering a CRAZY DEAL on the 2018 ROSSO which is one of the highest-rated Rosso EVER - so if you need a GREAT everyday drinker - this is your lucky day!! Strong wines from top to bottom, a hallmark of a serious producer.
TALENTI 2016 TSUNAMI BRUNELLO COLLECTOR'S SIX PACK - 675 $
3 BOTTLES PIERO, 3 BOTTLES NORMALE
TALENTI 2016 PIERO BRUNELLO - $200 PER BOTTLE 97 POINTS "pure elegance"
6-PACK PRICE - $1,000 VERY LIMITED
TALENTI 2016 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO - $60 PER BOTTLE 94 Points "the best values in age-worthy Brunello in the market."
6-PACK PRICE - $330 ($55 PER BOTTLE)
TALENTI 2018 ROSSO DI MONTALCINO - $30 PER BOTTLE - 93 Points - One of the highest-rated Rosso ever
SICK 12-PACK PRICE - $250 ($21 PER BOTTLE) - lowest price in country
Riccardo Talenti sources fruit from five vineyards spread out between higher elevations of Sant'Angelo in Colle and lower elevations of Castelnuovo dell'Abate to create a southern yet wonderfully balanced expression of Brunello, one that is capable of pleasing a broad range of palates. their first single-vineyard wine,
The Piero Brunello di Montalcino is the first single-vineyard wine from Talenti whose first vintage was 2015 and is sourced from a two-hectare parcel first planted by Pierluigi in the 1970s. Talenti, under the guidance of Riccardo, has also move to all organic practices throughout the vineyards
A vintage like 2016 comes around once in a generation. Do not miss out on these iconic, ageworthy and (most importantly) DELICIOUS wines that will be gone soon.
Shane Benson | Owner | New York Vintners
CRITICAL PRAISE FOR TALENTI
TALENTI 2016 PIERO BRUNELLO 97 POINTS VINOUS
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Piero is an excellent follow-up to the 2015 that wowed me earlier this year. It takes a much more refined and darkly alluring approach, as an air of crushed stone gives way to masses of blackberry and cherry, further blossoming to show notes of sage, a dusting of cedar, mocha and leather strap. There’s an exotic flair here without ever straying from Sangiovese purity. The textures are pure elegance, like silk being draped across the senses yet perfectly balanced by zesty acids and hints of sour citrus, as depths of red/black fruits give way to inner floral and earth tones. You can hardly feel its tannic heft until the finish, where structure rules, clenching the palate with youthful poise while allowing hints of balsamic spice to linger on. There is simply so much going on here and so much more to come over time.-- Eric Guido
TALENTI 2016 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 94 POINTS VINOUS
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino boasts a striking display of balsamic-tinged cherry and autumnal spice with a twist of sour citrus really appealing to the senses. It’s silky and pliant with a gorgeous display of ripe red and hints of black fruit. There’s a sweet and sour element here that I find quite attractive, as the 2016 gains a tactile feel toward the close through a mix of brisk acids and rounded tannins. The length and classic structure on the finish completes the expression, leaving dark florals and mineral earth tones. Talenti remains one of the best values in age-worthy Brunello in the market. That said, it’s also worth checking in on a bottle early to enjoy all of its primary intensity.
-- Eric Guido
TALENTI 2018 ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 93 POINTS VINOUS
Very pale red. Clean and precise aromas and flavors of sour red berries, violet and minerals. Rich and suave for a 2018 Rosso di Montalcino, with fine tannins and balance on the long delicately herbal finish. This lovely wine is remarkably easy to drink.
-- Ian D'Agata
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Talenti is located just south of the commune of Montalcino
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VINOUS' ERIC GUIDO ON THE 2016 VINTAGE
If I had to think of one way to universally describe the majority of wines from the 2016 vintage, I would offer that they are like a well-muscled black stallion in its prime. They are dark yet radiant, expressive, nearly explosive at times, yet pure, poised and structured. These are wines that capture your imagination; and no matter how youthfully tense they are today, you simply can’t help but revisit a glass over and over again; because in many cases, the aromatics alone are intoxicating. I frankly cannot remember the last time I tasted young wines from Montalcino that possessed such symmetry from start to finish. The best part is that this success was widely spread throughout the region; and while there was a mix of the bad, the good and the otherworldly, finding a solidly performing bottle of 2016 Brunello di Montalcino won’t be difficult for any consumer.
Is there really any such thing as a perfect vintage? Many producers throughout Montalcino would say that there is, and the example that they would give you would be the 2016 vintage. To quote Francesco Ripaccioli of Canalicchio di Sopra in the northern eastern part of Montalcino, “...if we could control the climate of a vintage artificially, I believe that I would program it to be just like the year 2016.
Riccardo Talenti, Pierluigi's Grandson, leads the estate today
The estate has been developed around an old farm called “Pian di Conte”, not far from Sant’Angelo in Colle, on the southern slope of the municipality of Montalcino, which has been restructured and expanded over the years.The property occupies an area of 40 hectares, among vineyards, olive groves, orchards and seed crops, surrounded by age-old holm-oak woods, characteristic of the Montalcino area.
The Talenti Estate
Talenti cultivates and tends their land with respect for tradition, harvesting the grapes and olives by hand.The vineyards are divided into eleven different plots, each with different altitude, exposure and soil composition, creating red wines that are incredibly complex and profound.
They have always had a passion for the cultivation of olives which are a very traditional element within the Tuscan landscape. They grow the Correggiolo and Moraiolo varieties, from which a bright green and intensely scented oil is extracted. 
Olives at Talenti
They hand pick the best grapes and place them in small containers to preserve their integrity. Later, the bunches and individual berries undergo further selection to obtain the best of every harvest. Talenti believes that the birth of a fine wine also depends on constant research into new technologies. During fermentation in steel tanks, they personally check every process, from pumping over to punching, every phase being temperature-controlled. In the barrel cellar there is a strong link between tradition and a continuing effort to improve. The wines spend over two years ageing in fine Allier and Slavonian oak, followed by bottle ageing for the time required to enhance the aromas and the character that make their wines unique and inimitable. 
