2012 Brunello di Montalcino Le Chiuse di Sotto
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino wafts up with all of the aromas of a traditional fruitcake on Christmas Day, as an assortment of rum-soaked berries, raisins, brown spice, molasses and cloves fill the senses. It’s velvety in texture, yet more lifted than anticipated, with tart red fruits and nuances of blood orange over a tension-building core of brisk acidity. A hint of powdered cocoa and sour cherries lingers, as the 2012 finishes fresh, a bit shorter than expected, yet still harmonious and full of life. What a beauty.
Critic scores
James Suckling
Ian D'Agata
More reviews and scores
Montalcino Sud (Podernovi). Pale crimson. Scented. Light and fresh. A bit chewy on the end. Just a bit tentative rather than elegant. A bit drying on the end. But Walter is a fan! (JR)
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino offers a broad and thick bouquet with plump fruit and blackberry confit. You can taste the ripeness of the fruit achieved in this hot growing season. Dark plum is followed by spice, leather, tar and cured leather. There's a savory and soft side to this wine. Its aromatic presentation is broad and bold. However, the mouthfeel is a bit thinner. Upfront, this is a delicious wine that can be consumed in the near term. You could wait to age it, but why bother? It tastes great just out of the gate.
Tasted blind. Lifted, leafy ripe cherry and strawberry nose with a fine, leesy note. Succulent and with youthful austerity. Long, perfumed, tannic finish. Long and complex raspberry finish and almost burgundian in style. Deserves more age, but already hard to resist. (WS)