Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Typical aging: "The 1st year is spent in FR oak barriques & tonneaux with different capacities, to strengthen the innate structure of the wine, while the 2nd is spent in larger Slavonian oak barrels which allow the wine to achieve balance. After completing the maturing process in wood, the wine is transferred into concrete tanks."
N: Smoke, toast, earth clearly atop berries
P: Med, poss MF, body; Almost swtish frt quickly met by puckerish astringency that slowly, fairly seamlessly somewhat resolves by the LONG, dusty, yet almost swtish, finish. NEEDS 2 yrs min, I'd guess, but everything SEEMS there! 96 pts Suckling, 95 WS, 94 WA, 92 WE @ $68, 89 ea Vinous & Luca Gardini, 85 Decanter World Wine Awards, & 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $37.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still shows NUMEROUS U.S. sources from $44-$65.]
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Typically, from the 42-hectare Capanna Vyd (@ 350-400 m with clay shale & gravel-pebble soils) facing towards the Mediterranean sea; Vinified 18 days in s/s tanks @ 28 C, aged 24 mos in barriques & FR oak barrels of 30-50 hl; 4,000 cs imported to the U.S.
N: RIPE vanilla/berries; Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; ALMOST swtish frt met by puckerish astringency, this pretty much resolving by the LONG, tangy, ult very slightly bitterswt choc finish. Needs SOME time (1-2 yrs, poss more), but should be relatively elegant afterwards. 96 pts Suckling, 94 WS, 92 WA, 92 Decanter (Panel), 91 WE @ $50, and 16/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $41.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still shows NUMEROUS U.S. sources from $40-$59.]
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
N: Closed; Vanilla
P: Med, poss MF body; Nice frt QUICKLY met by finely tannic pucker, this only partially resolving by the fairly LONG, dustily tannic, very slightly bitterswt choc finish. NEEDS 3+ yrs, & IF it has the frt for that... :) 94 pts Luca Gardini, 92 WS, 91+ WA, 91 ea Suckling, Vinous, & WE @ $45, and 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $29.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still showing NUMEROUS U.S. sources from $34-$40.]
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
6,054 cs made
N: CLOSED; some vanilla?
P: Med, poss MF, body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt QUICKLY met by puckerish (yet ALMOST swtish) structure which fairly seamlessly only partially resolves by the VERY LONG, ult bitterSWT choc finish. EXCEPTIONALLY well made, but NEEDS 3 yrs, poss more. 95 pts & #4/Top 100 '17 WS @ $65, 94 Falstaff Magazine. 93 WA, 92 Suckling, and 91 Vinous (D'Argata). [Tasted @ $53.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still showing some U.S. sources from $65-$110.]
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
100% Sangiovese Grosso grown in clay soil with a good % of limestone and silt, 5,000 vines/ha; Fermented "in s/s @ a controlled temp with racking & delestage, maceration 21-25 days;" Aged 24 mos in FR & Slavonian oak barrels of from 30 to 60 hl; 14.00% ABV, 3.14 g/lt R.S., 5.8 g/lt T.A., & 3.48 pH; 12,500 cs made
N: Slightly closed; SMOKE with notes of vanilla
P: Med, poss MF, body; Almost swtish frt QICKLY met by puckerish astringency, this but somewhat resolving by the quite LONG, finely, yet ALMOST swtly, tannic finish. Probably NEEDS 3 yrs, & likely has the frt for that! 93 pts WS, 92 Suckling, 91+ WA, 90 ea Luca Gardini & WE @ $55, 89 Vinous (D'Agata), & 16/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $33.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still showing NUMEROUS U.S. sources from $30-$50.]
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Fermented in s/s and glass concrete vats, temperature-controlled via cooling plates and jackets. Aged more than 24 mos in 20-75 hl Slavonian oak barrels, followed by > 8 mos in bottle; 15% ABV
N: CLOSED; Smoky, earthy notes? Vanilla as well?
P: MF body; NICE frt QUICKLY met by astringent pucker, though this pretty much seems to resolve by the LONG, slightly tangy, ult bitterSWT finish. Nicely balanced/styled, but NEEDS 2 yrs, I suspect. 95 pts & "Cellar Selection" WE @ $70, 94 Suckling, 93 WA, 92 Falstaff Magazine, 91 Vinous (D'Agata), & 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $43.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still showing SOME U.S. sources from $40-$55.]
2012 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Typical aging: "The 1st year is spent in FR oak barriques & tonneaux with different capacities, to strengthen the innate structure of the wine, while the 2nd is spent in larger Slavonian oak barrels which allow the wine to achieve balance. After completing the maturing process in wood, the wine is transferred into concrete tanks."
N: Smoke, toast, earth clearly atop berries
P: Med, poss MF, body; Almost swtish frt quickly met by puckerish astringency that slowly, fairly seamlessly somewhat resolves by the LONG, dusty, yet almost swtish, finish. NEEDS 2 yrs min, I'd guess, but everything SEEMS there! 96 pts Suckling, 95 WS, 94 WA, 92 WE @ $68, 89 ea Vinous & Luca Gardini, 85 Decanter World Wine Awards, & 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $37.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still shows NUMEROUS U.S. sources from $44-$65.]
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2012 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Typically, from the 42-hectare Capanna Vyd (@ 350-400 m with clay shale & gravel-pebble soils) facing towards the Mediterranean sea; Vinified 18 days in s/s tanks @ 28 C, aged 24 mos in barriques & FR oak barrels of 30-50 hl; 4,000 cs imported to the U.S.
N: RIPE vanilla/berries; Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; ALMOST swtish frt met by puckerish astringency, this pretty much resolving by the LONG, tangy, ult very slightly bitterswt choc finish. Needs SOME time (1-2 yrs, poss more), but should be relatively elegant afterwards. 96 pts Suckling, 94 WS, 92 WA, 92 Decanter (Panel), 91 WE @ $50, and 16/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $41.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still shows NUMEROUS U.S. sources from $40-$59.]
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2012 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
N: Closed; Vanilla
P: Med, poss MF body; Nice frt QUICKLY met by finely tannic pucker, this only partially resolving by the fairly LONG, dustily tannic, very slightly bitterswt choc finish. NEEDS 3+ yrs, & IF it has the frt for that... :) 94 pts Luca Gardini, 92 WS, 91+ WA, 91 ea Suckling, Vinous, & WE @ $45, and 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $29.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still showing NUMEROUS U.S. sources from $34-$40.]
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2012 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
6,054 cs made
N: CLOSED; some vanilla?
P: Med, poss MF, body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt QUICKLY met by puckerish (yet ALMOST swtish) structure which fairly seamlessly only partially resolves by the VERY LONG, ult bitterSWT choc finish. EXCEPTIONALLY well made, but NEEDS 3 yrs, poss more. 95 pts & #4/Top 100 '17 WS @ $65, 94 Falstaff Magazine. 93 WA, 92 Suckling, and 91 Vinous (D'Argata). [Tasted @ $53.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still showing some U.S. sources from $65-$110.]
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2012 Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
100% Sangiovese Grosso grown in clay soil with a good % of limestone and silt, 5,000 vines/ha; Fermented "in s/s @ a controlled temp with racking & delestage, maceration 21-25 days;" Aged 24 mos in FR & Slavonian oak barrels of from 30 to 60 hl; 14.00% ABV, 3.14 g/lt R.S., 5.8 g/lt T.A., & 3.48 pH; 12,500 cs made
N: Slightly closed; SMOKE with notes of vanilla
P: Med, poss MF, body; Almost swtish frt QICKLY met by puckerish astringency, this but somewhat resolving by the quite LONG, finely, yet ALMOST swtly, tannic finish. Probably NEEDS 3 yrs, & likely has the frt for that! 93 pts WS, 92 Suckling, 91+ WA, 90 ea Luca Gardini & WE @ $55, 89 Vinous (D'Agata), & 16/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $33.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still showing NUMEROUS U.S. sources from $30-$50.]
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2012 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Fermented in s/s and glass concrete vats, temperature-controlled via cooling plates and jackets. Aged more than 24 mos in 20-75 hl Slavonian oak barrels, followed by > 8 mos in bottle; 15% ABV
N: CLOSED; Smoky, earthy notes? Vanilla as well?
P: MF body; NICE frt QUICKLY met by astringent pucker, though this pretty much seems to resolve by the LONG, slightly tangy, ult bitterSWT finish. Nicely balanced/styled, but NEEDS 2 yrs, I suspect. 95 pts & "Cellar Selection" WE @ $70, 94 Suckling, 93 WA, 92 Falstaff Magazine, 91 Vinous (D'Agata), & 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [Tasted @ $43.95, late Oct. '18's wine-searcher still showing SOME U.S. sources from $40-$55.]
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