For some years now, the Cencioni Brunello (and Rosso, too) have been among the best bargains in Montalcino. But in the great 2019 vintage, everyone agrees that this mother and daughters team made their best Brunello ever.
Dunnuck explains:
One of the first female winemakers in Montalcino, Patrizia Cencioni purchased her family estate in 1989. Today she is joined by her two daughters, Annalisa and Ariana, who handle the export market and the hospitality sector respectively. Offelio is an homage to Patrizia’s uncle, who took the role of her daughters’ Nonno (grandfather) and encouraged Patrizia in the early days of her winery to pave her own path forward. 123, the name of the cru on the other side of the road, is at the highest elevation, with slower maturation than the other sites. Over the past several years, the estate has moved away from small barriques and has been working to produce wines that remain rich but also have elegance and a sense of place.
Both he and other critics rate their 2019 vintage the best ever, and by a considerable margin.