Aromas of red plums, sour cherries, spice box, oranges, cloves and capers. Moss and porcini, too. Beautifully open, with a medium to full body and very fine, silky tannins. Lovely purity of fruit here, with a long, seamless finish. Ethereal and transparent. Drink from 2024.

96+ The 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Sugarille is layered with aromas of black licorice, wild raspberry, smoky cedar, and sweet Mediterranean herbs. It is medium to full-bodied with gorgeous concentration and length in its fresh cherry fruit, salty earth, ripe and present tannins, iron-rich earth, and warming spice. As it opens, it reveals layers of leather, fresh pine, and orange peel, and it is exceptionally balanced between its elegance, weightless feel, and noble tension. It needs another couple of years in bottle before hitting its prime drinking 2025-2045.

First produced in 1995, Sugarille is not made every vintage - after skipping 2017, this single-vineyard bottling returns. While it doesn’t have the sheer compactness of 2015 or commanding power of 2016, it is still true to its dense, rich character, with a twist of 2018 levity. Dark cherry and black plum are spiked with bitter herbs, tobacco and wet stone. Sturdy tannins form a solid framework and tantalising acidity soars. Sweet oak nuances melt into the liquorice root finish. A great contender for the cellar. (Drink between 2025-2037)

95+ Showing extra richness and textural weight, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille is structured, rich and intense. This wine represents fruit from a single site that is characterized by schistous galestro soils. These conditions give Sugarille its heavier center of gravity and its distinguished power and heft. Dark fruit, balsam herb and pencil shavings shape a beautiful and precise bouquet. Give this wine more time to age. - ML

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille keeps me coming back to the glass again and again to take in its spicy yet also wonderfully lifted bouquet, as shavings of cedar and pine evolve to reveal mentholated herbs, flinty stone and dried black cherries. This is deeply textural, soothing with its combination of ripe red fruits and juicy acidity, as sweet spices and mint nuances resonate toward the close. The Sugarille doesn’t miss a beat, tapering off with impeccable balance and regal structure, while allowing remnants of ripe wild berries and plum to linger on and on. The Gaja family has really outdone themselves in this idiosyncratic vintage. (Drink between 2025-2035) - EG

In contrast to Montalcino’s recent string of hot and dry vintages, the 2018 growing season saw persistent rains and moderate temperatures that produced some lean wines. Sugarille bucked that trend with ample ripeness in its juicy red cherry and raspberry flavors. Supple tannins frame the fruit as hints of menthol and sweet spice enliven the finish. Impressive for its precision, clarity and depth, this has plenty of aging potential.

A dark, brooding 2018, with accents of smoke, vanilla, iron and tar surrounding a core of cherry and plum flavors. Reveals balsamic elements of eucalyptus and wild herbs on the lingering finish. On the austere side now, with a core of fruit and mineral. Best from 2025 through 2043. 150 cases made, 150 cases imported.