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Benvenuto Brunello 2017
NYC
Tasted January 17, 2017 by swapdoc with 443 views
Introduction
The 2012 vintage produced many sweet, fleshy wines mostly showing sweet, baked dark cherry flavors. The wines that stood out for me also had balance and minerality needed to offset the richness of fruit. Quite a few wine displayed musky aromas; another trend this year is the crop of single vineyard wines now bottled by a number of producers, some indeed very good and quite different from the regular bottlings. Here are a few notable wines from the 2012 Brunello tasting.
Flight 1 (8 notes)
Red
2012 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli
Probably the best wine today for me. Unpacks layers of succulent fruit in every sip. Sweetness and natural acidity of wild berries add to the more traditional palate. Balanced and long. Liked this wine for its complexity and depth at the Montalcino tasting last fall, but found it even better now -- more fruit driven, playful and unique. Excellent.
Red
2012 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura
Complex and aromatic wine, with smoky undertones. Primary now; the wood treatment adds structure and tannins. Like the total balance here.
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Red
2012 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta
A very good effort here. Sweet and perfumed as the normale, but the extra acidity and a more concentrated fruit elevates the overall profile from good to excellent. Lively, complex, smoky and persistent feel. The wood seems more in check compared to the '10 Filo, allowing the ripe and complex fruit to be the star.
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Red
2012 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne
A very good blend of wild berries, plums, and a deft touch of wood. Full bodied, long wine. A very good effort.
Red
2012 Madonna Nera Brunello di Montalcino
A new wine for me and an unusual Brunello. Red, sweet but acidic berry profile, quite unlike the fat black cherry taste that characterizes many '12 wines. The acidity and a touch of wood and chestnut reminded me of an Scavino Roche dell'Annunziato Barolo. Hint of maderized aromatics, tannic. A controversial pick, but going on a limb here.
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Red
2010 Poggio il Castellare Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Stemmy, musky aromatics. Sweet cranberry cake profile, ripe sour cherry. Mineral and persistent mouth feel. Very good.
Red
2012 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino
Rich, jammy wine, showing the sweetness of blueberry as well as the minerality of wild berries. I like Riccardo's style of winemaking and '12s show both the richness without being off-putting. Earthy and gritty as well as this time. Very good.
Red
2011 Verbena Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
A step up from a ripe and structured '12 normale. This wine is aromatically seductive, showing the immediate appeal of the warm vintage. The musky taste combined with sweet dark cherry flavor recalls recent Altesino bottlings. Chewy, bold, interesting. Possibly a little short in the finish, but the aromatic complexity more than makes up for this.