2012 Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is remarkably pretty, with an attractive mix of bright cherry and strawberry complemented by a dusting of sweet cinnamon spice. This splashes across the palate, propelled and lifted by juicy acidity, as tart red berries add tension, and a salty flourish of minerality evolves toward the close. If there is one thing I can hold against the 2012, it’s the modestly clipped finale, where licorice tones and the slightest hint of heat linger on. That said, when paired with the right meal, this spunky and mature Brunello will have a lot of fans.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Sant'Angelo in Colle. Transparent ruby. Interesting, racy, minerally wine that is much more refreshing than many a previous vintage. Some charred-fruit sensation but lots to like. Fine tannins in abundance. (JR)
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino offers an authentic interpretation of this celebrated appellation in southern Tuscany. The bouquet is rich and sophisticated with candied cherry, dried currant and spice. I tasted this wine very soon after its commercial release and it took a little while open. It showed a point of reduction well. Give the glass a few vigorous swirls and the wine begins to peel back. Varietal aromas of moist earth, button mushroom, grilled herb and blue flower ultimately add to the wine's timid complexity. Give this wine two or three years to flesh out.
Tasted blind. Just mid ruby with orange tinges. Shy, yet rich cherry nose. A little reluctant on the palate, too, with juicy but closed cherry fruit. Fragrant and elegant and with an imposing, tannic structure, making the finish a little tough for the moment and demanding time. Undeniably elegant. (WS)