Brunello di Montalcino "Vigna del Lago", Val de Suga, Tuscany, IT, 2019

The 2019 Vigna del Lago is a beautifully refined, single-vineyard Brunello from Val di Suga’s northeastern Montalcino estate. The cooler exposure gives this bottling a distinctive style—less about sheer power and more about freshness, elegance, minerality and aromatic precision. It is aged 24 months in large 40-hL Slavonian oak casks, followed by cement and bottle aging.

Professional Ratings

The ratings are particularly consistent, with critics emphasizing the wine's mineral character, fine tannins and freshness.

Jeb Dunnuck – 97: Finds pristine red cherry, crushed stone, white pepper and clove. The wine is medium-bodied and beautifully concentrated, with fine tannins, mouthwatering acidity and a persistent mineral character. Suggested drinking window: 2026–2046.

James Suckling – 95: Highlights delicate fruit and flowers with cedar and sandalwood, followed by fine tannins, freshness and ripe fruit accented by citrus blossom.

Wine Advocate – 94: Notes dark fruit, Morello cherry, herbs and a pronounced mineral quality, with a rich yet balanced palate, solid tannins and freshness.

Decanter – 94: Finds dark cherry, alpine herbs, cranberry, currant and blood orange with lively citrus acidity and a firm, vertical tannic structure.

Tasting Profile

Nose: Fresh cherry, wild strawberry and cranberry mingle with violet, dried flowers, white pepper, orange peel, herbs, tobacco and crushed stone.

Palate: Medium-bodied and elegant rather than massive. Bright red fruit is framed by fine-grained tannins, lively acidity and pronounced stony minerality, with subtle savory and earthy complexity.

Finish: Long, fresh and distinctly saline, carrying cherry, citrus, herbs, spice and crushed-stone minerality.

Sommelier’s Take

This is an especially elegant expression of 2019 Brunello. Vigna del Lago’s cooler northeastern location gives it a lifted, almost Burgundian finesse compared with richer Brunellos from warmer parts of Montalcino. It will show beautifully with a decant now, but 2026–2046 is a compelling drinking window.

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points

"Youthful ruby/red, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Vigna Del Lago is gorgeous, with fantastic mineral aromas of crushed stones, pristine ripe red cherries, white pepper, and clove spice. Medium-bodied, it’s mouthwatering from the start, with fine tannins, elegant concentration, and fresh acidity. It is lifted and long on the palate, with a linear feel, and leaves its haunting and sustained mineral presence. Drink 2026-2046."

James Suckling 95 Points

"Smells of subtle fruit and flowers with cedar and sandalwood. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a fresh and fruity finish. All about lovely, perfectly ripe fruit with a citrus flower undertone. Drinkable now but better in two or three years. Try after 2025."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 94 Points

"Sporting a new label design, the Val di Suga 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Lago comes from an 18-hectare vineyard with clay soils at a moderate 280 meters above sea level. This does indeed show a precise mineral note that stands out, but you also get dark fruit, rich Morello cherry and a pretty herbal end note. The wine is very Mediterranean in spirit with a rich mouthfeel, sweet but solid tannins and balanced freshness. You can't go wrong with this textbook Brunello. This is a 12,000-bottle release."

Decanter 94 Points

"Surrounding Val di Suga’s cellar in Montalcino’s northeast, Vigna del Lago is cooled by winds from the north and hemmed in by cypress trees. At 280 metres, the vines sit on clay soil. For this bottling, ageing is in 40-hectolitre Slavonian oak casks. Characterised by lightness, tightness and a slight reduction at the moment, it opens up with dark cherry and alpine herbs. The fine-boned frame packs in cranberry and currants with traces of blood orange and forest roots. Vertical tannins occupy the mid-palate, and the finish is driven by lively citrussy acidity. That austerity says ‘wait!‘."

Vinous 93 Points

"The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Lago is dark and brooding, with a delicate blend of ashen stones and grilled herbs that give way to dried black cherries. This is silky and enveloping with fresh acidity and vividly ripe wild berry fruits that cascade throughout. Brisk acidity keeps the energy high as the 2019 finishes long and staining yet surprisingly juicy, leaving suggestions of violet pastille over a bed of fine-grained tannins."