2018 Brunello di Montalcino, Máté, Tuscany, Italy

Walnuts, sweet berries, lemons, lavender and chocolate on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with firm tannins. Fragrant floral and spice notes on a firm finish. A little tight for now. From organically grown grapes.Better from 2024james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (December 2022)

The certified organic Máté 2018 Brunello di Montalcino reveals dark layers of black cherry and plum with soft spice, leather and tilled earth. The wine also shows a delicate side with lavender and Mediterranean herb. It feels tart and fresh on the palate, and it offers an accessible, medium-weight texture. There is a hint of cooling mint on the close. Albeit informal, this is a fun and lively Brunello with exactly 12,965 bottles released.The branding on these bottles appears to be transitioning to "Famiglia Máté." The family has 20 hectares of olives and forests and 6.5 hectares of vines at 320 to 420 meters in elevation. They are working a new vineyard site called Mezzaluna, which is planted to alberello vines. This new parcel is different in terms of altitude and soils, so it should be interesting to see what they decide to do with Mezzaluna. One possibility, I assume, is the production of a vineyard-designate wine in the future.Drink 2024 - 2036monica_larner, Wine Advocate (March 2023)

Deep ruby with orange tinges. Brooding and conveying a sense of richness, but otherwise still closed on the nose. Just a suggestion of Moroccan leather. Sappy, lively and tangy fruit on the palate with an undertow of oak. Long, mouth-filling, juicy and hedonistic. Can be approached now.Drink 2023 - 2030Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com (November 2022)

Minty herbs accentuate a smoky mix of crushed strawberry and cherry as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino blossoms in the glass. It splashes across the palate with ripe wild berry fruits and hints of tropical citrus motivated by vibrant acidity. The 2018 tapers off with an exotic flourish of spices and florals, as subtle tannins frame this Brunello quite well. While lightly structured, this highly expressive interpretation of the vintage is already quite tempting, yet still in need of a few years of cellaring.Drink 2025 - 2032eric_guido, Vinous.com.com (October 2022)