Italy 2012
Tasted Saturday, October 6, 2012 - Tuesday, October 23, 2012 by BrunelloBob with 935 views
Introduction
10th wedding anniversary trip with Beautiful Wife. She got her Tuscan Villa, I got to pick the wine...
Flight 1 - The Odds and Ends (12 Notes)
Purchased various times, various places. Mostly on the front end of the trip, before Montalcino.
Flight 2 - The Fort, Montalcino (7 Notes)
Tasting at The Brunello Consorzio in Montalcino. These guys weren't doing anyone any favors on pricing, and I wonder about their agenda as to what was available to taste. Shared tasting with Beautiful Wife as I had to drive the world-class piece of crap Fiat DoBlo (real name) back to the villa. Notes/scores are lacking based on small/shared sample, and I missed a few wines.
Flight 3 - Barbi (2 Notes)
2 glasses, shared, at lunch at Taverna di Barbi. Great meal, good wine. Recommended.
Flight 4 - Biondi Santi (3 Notes)
50 Euro each tour and sit down tasting. Worth it to get a sniff of the 1997 Riserva. Franco Biondi- Santi popped in on the way to and from his first tasting of the 2012 juice--which he was clearly excited about. 5 people at the tasting, all recognized him. 90 year old man carries himself like a Rock Star, with reason. Awesome.
Closing
Had some decent whites along the way as well, especially in Rome where it was pushing 80, but no notes. Missed notes on a few reds as well, but got most of the important ones.
Also developed a habit of Prosecco with breakfast...WTH, it was vacation...
2007 Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino 85 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
(10/13/2012)
Purchased at grocery store in Montepulciano, bought on price (12 euro?). Producer seems to be Everywhere in Italy.
Lacks significant fruit, complexity, or anything positive to talk about. How do you do that in a vintage like 2007?
I'm routinely disappointed in Banfi, at least at the rosso and basic BdM levels
Sell the estate back to the Italians.
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2004 Tenuta La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
(10/14/2012)
60 Euro at La Groto Rest. in Montepulciano. Decanted by server, without prompting.
Great red cherry nose and palate. Great mouth feel, good length. Medium + body. Well structured and balanced. Classiest BdM on the trip to this point.
Will hold, may improve a point.
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2009 Fattoria del Cerro Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 84 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
(10/14/2012)
Another grocery store purchase.
All mineral, not enough fruit. No improvement over 2 nights.
Stick to Brunello
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2004 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa 91 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
(10/18/2012)
Cork soaked 66%
Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, olive?. (I Love strawberry in BdM). Maybe lacking a bit of acidity. Ready to drink now.
I'm not a fan of Caparzo's normale Bdm, and La Casa does not rise to the the level of other producers' elite bottles, but this is a solid BdM.
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2004 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
(10/7/2012)
By the glass at wine bar in Tremezzo. Big fruit, Big tannin. Hold 5 years
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2007 Casanova di Neri Rosso di Montalcino 90 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
(10/7/2012)
By the bottle in wine bar in Tremezzo.
Ready to drink. Nice RdM fruit. Bit of funk on the nose doesn't come through to the palate.
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2006 Canalicchio Brunello di Montalcino 91 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
(10/8/2012)
Tasted and bought in Bellagio for 30Euros. Nice deal.
Big, a bit young, but honest Brunello.
Watch the schmutz
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2009 Antinori Tignanello 90 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
(10/9/2012)
With dinner at Hotel Excelsior in Rapallo
Too much green and black olive for me. Black, and some red, cherry.
Smooth and elegant, but I don't think it was worth the money.
Drinks well young, not sure I see much upside with age.
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2006 Fattoria Poggio di Sotto Rosso di Montalcino 91 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
(10/10/2012)
PnP
40 Euro +/- wine store in Rapallo
Neither one of us is crazy about the nose at first, but it improves with air.
Brunello "light". Long red fruit, inoffensive green herb, a little oak. Strawberry, celery. Had me thinking southern Rhone or baby Soldera.
Nice, Best RdM ever? . Bet the BdM Rocks.
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2010 Le Casalte Rosso di Montepulciano 87 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano
(10/13/2012)
10-11 Euro at corner chacuterie shop.
With cheese/bread/sausage the first night in Montepulciano.
Simple fruit, mineral. Drink now.
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2006 Canalicchio Brunello di Montalcino 89 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
(10/14/2012)
From corner store where supplies bought first night in Montepulciano. 28 Euro
May have drank too cold (55 degrees, outside) but sense is you can do better this vintage
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2007 MastroJanni Brunello di Montalcino 91 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
(10/18/2012)
Bought at wine shop after tasting in Montepulciano. Nice fruit, drinkable now. Lost my notes on this one, so details lacking, but we both liked it.
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