Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 2018

 99 pts & #5 Top Italian Wines of 2022,' Kerin O'Keefe (Nov 2022): 

"Perfumed berry, pine forest, new leather and violet aromas mingle with enticing scents of vineyard dust that segue into underbrush and nutmeg. Linear, lithe and all about elegance, the savory palate has great energy that lifts juicy red cherry, spiced cranberry, star anise and tangy saline notes that linger on the close. Tight but refined tannins and vibrant acidity keep it youthfully tense and impeccably balanced. Those who love power and might could be surprised by its almost ethereal quality, but lovers of finesse, depth and balance will swoon in delight. Drink: 2024–2038"

 94 pts, Eric Guido, Vinous (Dec 2022): 

“The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is a spice box, bursting from the glass with a tour de force of cloves, cinnamon sticks, mint, lavender, dried strawberries and freshly sliced vanilla bean. For all of its extroverted character on the nose, this is a delicate beauty on the palate, cool-toned and finessed, with violet-tinged red berries and exotic spice motivated by brisk acidity. It conveys a pleasant staining of fine tannins that lingers long, yet the character is only lightly structured and tapers off nuanced, leaving a persistent subtle hint of licorice. The 2018’s acidity totals out at 6.3g/L and with only 13.6% abv., which has created a wine that is energetic yet unbelievably classic in feel, especially considering the vintage. Wow.”

 94 pts Decanter: 

In 2018, Andrea Costanti used fewer tonneaux than usual, opting instead for larger, less oxidative casks, a significant portion of which were new. This lends some oak nuances but doesn’t detract. Aromas of exotic spice, violet and chestnut are amplified by a touch of volatile acidity. Those dark purple floral notes carry through to the palate, which brags lovely weight with balanced proportions and mouthwatering, citrussy acidity. The tannins are weighing down the finish right now, but give this another year or so to come together and it should be a joy to drink.

 93 pts Wine Advocate: 

This wine displays a dark garnet color that suggests a robust and savory wine to follow. Indeed, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino does reveal a rather austere approach with dried fruit, blackcurrant and fig. I wish there was just a hint more fresh fruitiness to those aromas, but the wine has already veered toward an evolved stage. This prompts me to suggest a shorter drinking window. There is a hint of dryness to the tannins, and the acidity is welcome.

作為十九世紀中葉開始的首批Brunello酒莊之一，Costanti家族的歷史可以追溯到十五世紀，在錫耶納和佛羅倫薩持續幾百年的爭鬥之後，他們和幾百個貴族家庭退守荒涼的Montalcino，Costanti家族從此定居在此，由好鬥的軍事貴族慢慢轉化為擁有大量土地的鄉紳。不過酒莊的名氣也歸功於當初Emilio Costanti敏銳地發現了商機，在20世紀60年代開始了產區中領先步入商業化的道路，增加產量並積極對外銷售，要知道在這之前，酒莊們產出的葡萄酒一般是只供家人和朋友們飲用的。

酒莊的聲望逐步建立起來，作為酒莊的奠基人之一，Emilio在1983年去世後沒有直系繼承人，年輕的地質專業畢業生Andrea臨危受命接管了家族酒莊，並把它發揚光大。從上世紀接手酒莊開始，Andrea就和知名釀酒顧問Vittorio Fiore合作(他也是Toscana知名酒莊Poggio Scalette的創始人)，透過與有經驗的釀酒師協作，Andrea很快掌握了釀酒髓， 他們的友誼也一直維持至今。

Costanti莊園共25公頃，其中葡萄園僅12公頃，其餘還有4公頃的橄欖林，以及樹林和草地。葡萄園多集中在 Matrichese丘陵週邊海拔350-400公尺的坡地上，土壤以石灰黏土為主，常年不斷的山風能讓葡萄健康成長。

作為老派中的創新派，Costanti並不排斥使用法桶(但只用Allier產區)，當然新桶的比例很低(不到20%)，大部分的時間還是由傳統的Slavonian大桶陳年，新酒要48個月才可以出廠。 Andrea也會出產傳統Brunello Riserva珍藏，使用醉好的年份的醉好的葡萄在用來釀造珍藏款，他們從不做單一園Brunello，但珍藏款的複雜度可以躋身Brunello的塔尖行列。

例如就近幾年來說，《葡萄酒愛好者》雜誌（Wine Enthusiast，簡稱WE）2016年度酒窖精選Top100百大葡萄酒榜單中（Top 100 cellar selection），酒莊的Brunello di Montalcino Riserva排名第七，而到了2017年的榜單，Conti Costanti 的Brunello di Montalcino因其卓越的性價比拿到了榜單第一名！力壓所有各種名家Barolo和Brunello甚至法國五大莊，品質著實出色。