Which Brunello vintage is best to drink now?

Brunello di Montalcino is among Italy's most prestigious and long-lived red wines. A good Brunello can develop for decades, but not every vintage possesses the same power, structure, and longevity. Some vintages are captivating when young, while other Brunellos only reveal their true character after fifteen or twenty years.

In this overview, you'll find Brunello di Montalcino vintages from 1990 onwards, with a brief description for each vintage, a star rating, and a practical "drinking window." This will help you better determine which bottle to open now and which Brunello can remain in the wine cellar for a few more years.

The right drinking moment makes a big difference for Brunello. A young Brunello can seem powerful, closed, and tannic. With sufficient bottle aging, the tannins soften, and the complex aromas of cherries, plums, violets, Mediterranean herbs, tobacco, leather, and forest floor become increasingly prominent.

This overview therefore not only helps you buy a good Brunello vintage but, more importantly, helps you open your best bottles at the moment when fruit, acidity, tannins, and aging aromas are optimally balanced.

An explanation of the stars

The well-known star rating for Brunello vintages was historically awarded by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. The consortium evaluated a vintage on a scale of one to five stars:

• ★★★★★ – exceptional vintage

• ★★★★ – excellent vintage

• ★★★ – good vintage

• ★★ – moderate vintage

• ★ – weak vintage

The stars provided a general indication of the average quality in Montalcino. They were not a guarantee that every Brunello from that vintage was equally good. The location of the vineyard, altitude, exposure, producer, vinification, and storage conditions remain at least as important.

Overview of Brunello di Montalcino vintages

The drinking windows apply to well-stored regular Brunello di Montalcino in 75 cl bottles. Brunello Riserva, special vineyard selections (Cru's), and the best wines from top producers can often age longer.

Brunello vintages 1990–1999

Vintage	Brief description	Stars	Drinking window
1990	A legendary, powerful, and rich vintage. The best wines combine ripe fruit with structure, complexity, and exceptionally long longevity.	★★★★★	2000–2035+
1991	A very good, classic year with elegant and balanced wines. Less powerful than 1990, but still appealing from good producers.	★★★★	1999–2026
1992	A cool and difficult vintage. Many wines are light, relatively simple, and now past their prime.	★★	1998–2015
1993	Classic, fresh, and firm, with clear acidity and tannins. The best wines have developed slowly and harmoniously.	★★★★	2002–2028
1994	A solid and often underestimated vintage. The wines are typically medium-bodied, aromatic, and fully developed by now.	★★★★	2002–2028
1995	A great, traditional year with structure, freshness, and excellent aging potential. Good bottles are now beautiful to drink.	★★★★★	2005–2038
1996	A less concentrated but fresh and aromatic year. Most wines are now nearing the end of their optimal drinking period.	★★★	2004–2028
1997	Rich, fragrant, and powerful. A famous year with ripe fruit, firm tannins, and long longevity.	★★★★★	2007–2040
1998	Balanced and perfumed, with refined red fruit and a harmonious structure. Less powerful than 1997, but often more elegant.	★★★★	2007–2035
1999	Structured, tannic, and classic. An excellent year that can last a long time from top producers.	★★★★	2009–2040

The historical stars in this section follow the vintage ratings of the consortium. 

Brunello vintages 2000–2009

Vintage	Brief description	Stars	Drinking window
2000	A warm year with ripe fruit and relatively soft tannins. Many wines were accessible early and are now fully mature.	★★★	2008–2028
2001	An excellent and often underestimated vintage. The wines combine concentration, fresh acidity, and a classic structure.	★★★★	2011–2040
2002	A very wet and difficult year. Many producers did not make Riserva, and most regular Brunellos are now past their peak.	★	2008–2018
2003	Extremely warm and dry. The wines are powerful, ripe, and high in alcohol, but sometimes lack freshness and finesse.	★★★★	2010–2028
2004	An exceptionally complete year with perfume, balance, freshness, and long longevity. The best wines are still developing.	★★★★★	2014–2048
2005	Elegant and balanced, but less concentrated than 2004 and 2006. Many wines are now particularly pleasant to drink.	★★★★	2013–2035
2006	Powerful, classic, and firm. A serious aging year with abundant tannin, depth, and a long development.	★★★★★	2016–2048
2007	Richer, riper, and more approachable than 2006. The best wines combine power with a velvety texture.	★★★★★	2015–2042
2008	Cooler, refined, and aromatic. The wines are less heavy but often show beautiful acidity and elegance.	★★★★	2016–2038
2009	A warm and relatively approachable year. Many wines offer ripe fruit, round tannins, and immediate drinking pleasure.	★★★★	2017–2037

The consortium rated 2001 with four stars, 2006 and 2007 with five stars, and 2008 and 2009 with four stars. 

Brunello vintages 2010–2019

Vintage	Brief description	Stars	Drinking window
2010	A monumental and classic Brunello year. Power, freshness, fine tannins, and aromatic depth ensure exceptionally long longevity.	★★★★★	2020–2055
2011	A warm and early year with ripe, generous wines. The Brunellos are generally more approachable and softer than those from 2010.	★★★★	2018–2040
2012	Rich, concentrated, and Mediterranean, yet with sufficient freshness. The best wines have excellent aging potential.	★★★★★	2022–2048
2013	A classic, relatively cool year with refined acidity, mineral tension, and slow development.	★★★★	2022–2048
2014	A wet and cool year that required significant selection in the vineyard. The best wines are light-footed, fresh, and elegant.	★★★	2020–2035
2015	Rich, ripe, and harmonious. The wines combine generous fruit with sufficient structure and are more accessible than 2016.	★★★★★	2023–2050
2016	One of the greatest modern Brunello years. Very precise, fresh, powerful, and balanced, with exceptional aging potential.	★★★★★	2026–2060+
2017	A hot and dry year with low yields. The best producers made powerful, ripe wines that are relatively early accessible.	★★★★	2023–2042
2018	An aromatic, elegant, and relatively light-footed year. The best wines convince with freshness and refinement rather than power.	★★★★	2024–2042
2019	A great, complete, and classic year. The wines combine intense fruit, freshness, structure, and a long, precise finish.	★★★★★	2027–2058

The five-star ratings for 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2019 are among the official historical ratings. 

Brunello vintages 2020–2021

Vintage	Brief description	Stars	Drinking window
2020	Ripe, aromatic, and seductive, with bright fruit and relatively soft tannins. Many wines are appealing when young, but the best have enough structure to age further.	★★★★★	2026–2048
2021	Intense, precise, and vertical, with more tannin and tension than 2020. A great aging year that combines power, freshness, and aromatic definition.	★★★★★*	2029–2060+

*The five stars for 2021 are an editorial Brunolo rating and not an official consortium score. The consortium describes 2021 within Brunello Forma as fragrant, defined, and vertical. Decanter rated the vintage 4.5 out of 5 and calls the wines intense, characterful, balanced, and suitable for long-term aging. 

Why does the overview extend up to 2021?

Brunello di Montalcino may only be released on the market on January 1 of the fifth year after the harvest. The wine must age for a minimum of two years in wood and a minimum of four months in bottle. For Brunello Riserva, an additional year of aging and a minimum of six months of bottle aging apply.

This means that Brunello di Montalcino 2021 will be the most recent regular vintage on the market in 2026. Brunello 2022 may be released from January 1, 2027. 

Which Brunello vintages are good to drink now?

For those looking for a developed but still vital Brunello in 2026, especially consider:

1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018.

For these vintages, the primary fruit aromas have usually been complemented by aging aromas of tobacco, leather, dried flowers, herbs, forest floor, and balsamic. For bottles prior to 2000, the origin and storage conditions are now more important than the general vintage rating.

If you're looking for a younger, fruitier Brunello, you can consider 2017, 2018, and especially 2020. The 2020 wines generally have ripe fruit, an attractive aromatic openness, and less stringent tannins than the great aging vintages.

Which Brunello should you cellar longer?

The vintages 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2021 are among the strongest aging vintages in the overview.

Many Brunellos from 2010 are now in a beautiful stage of development, but top wines and Riservas can continue to evolve for years. The best wines from 2016, 2019, and 2021 are often still young and closed. They can be tasted now, but their full aromatic complexity will likely only unfold later.

Especially Brunello 2016 and 2021 are suitable candidates for long-term cellaring. From the best producers, these wines can develop well beyond 2050.

Is a five-star year always the best choice?

A high vintage rating is useful but never tells the whole story. Montalcino has significant differences in altitude, soil, exposure, and microclimate. A warm and dry summer can yield excellent results in a higher-elevation vineyard, while grapes in a lower and warmer plot might struggle to maintain their freshness.

Therefore, a good producer from a four-star year can make a better wine than a mediocre producer from a famous five-star year. We saw this, for example, in 2014, 2017, and 2018, when the best winemakers produced particularly refined Brunellos despite challenging conditions.

Gambero Rosso underlines this difference between vintage and individual wine. The guide awards its Tre Bicchieri not to an entire vintage but to individual Brunellos that achieve the highest level during tastings. For example, several Brunellos from the relatively elegant 2018 vintage received the maximum Tre Bicchieri rating. 

Opening Brunello at the right moment

Always use the drinking window as a guideline and not as a hard deadline. A regular Brunello from a reliable producer may be ready to drink earlier than a powerful single-vineyard selection or Riserva from the same year.

For young, powerful Brunello, it can help to open the bottle several hours before drinking. Older bottles should be stood upright for at least a day, so that any sediment settles to the bottom. Pour an old Brunello carefully and avoid prolonged decanting when the wine is already fragile or fully developed.

Serve Brunello preferably around 16 to 18 °C. At too high a temperature, alcohol and ripe fruit quickly become too dominant, while a slightly cooler serving temperature better highlights freshness, refinement, and aromatic complexity.

Conclusion: the vintage helps you choose the right drinking moment

Brunello di Montalcino is a wine that needs time. The vintage provides important information about the wine's power, freshness, accessibility, and probable longevity. By considering both the vintage and the producer and type of Brunello, you increase the chance of opening the bottle at precisely the right moment.

For immediate drinking pleasure, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2020 are interesting choices. Those with patience looking for a long-term wine can focus on 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Ultimately, the best Brunello vintage is not just the year with the most stars. It is primarily the vintage that suits your taste and is in the right stage of development at the moment of opening. Discover the Brunellos "ready to drink" here.