2011 Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
Mid ruby with brick rim. Leathery dried fruits on the nose with an inviting meaty sweetness. So tangy, zesty and full of life. Dried-fruit flavours but still fresh on the finish. And although the tannins are fine-grained they are quite firm. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is a very beautiful wine that evolves slowly in the glass to reveal ever more intensity. It offers generous cherry flavors followed by spice, leather, tobacco and grilled herb. The mouthfeel delivers a pretty level of softness and plushness. In general, I found this to be a very balanced wine. There's a nice level of understated simplicity that makes the wine appropriate for near-term consumption. But there is also enough complexity for moderate aging.
The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is dark, powerful and intense. Heavy notes of mocha and torrefaction dominate over the dark fruit and give the wine a sense of astringency that is felt in the tannins. This plump, fruit-driven Brunello is best enjoyed over the next few years. With a gentler hand, the 2011 could have been a more complete wine.
Tasted blind. Impenetrably dark ruby. Dark fruit with a layer of oak. The fruit is a little singed on the palate and the oak adds too much sweetness. Popular, commercial approach. (WS)