Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 114
YEAR'S BEST TUSCAN REDS
95 | Poggio di Sotto
$280
2011 Brunello di Montalcino ^ This wine
shows remarkable freshness and aromatic
detail for the warm 2011 vintage, creating an
impression that one taster likened to "eating an entire cherry tree, from blossoms to
fruit to bark." The wine's floral scents give
way to crystalline red-cherry flavors; the
texture is plush, almost loamy, unadorned
by oak. Notes of cherry tomato and freshlytilled earth emerge with exposure to air, propelled by energetic acidity. For a wine that's
capable of improving for many years, it is
surprisingly delicious today. § Domaine Select
Wine Estates, NY
228018
94 | Biondi-Santi
$200
2012 Brunello di Montalcino Annata ^ An
elegant rendering of sangiovese, this feels
translucent, opening with floral scents and
unfolding with flavors of red cherry infused
with mouthwatering acidity and polishediron tannins. The wine picks up notes of
tarragon and licorice with exposure to air,
maintaining impeccable balance and purity
of fruit on the long finish. This vintage was
begun by Franco Biondi-Santi, who passed
away in 2013, and finished by his son Jacopo. §
Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA
228019
94 | Biondi-Santi
$540
2011 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva ^ A
warm summer yielded this rich and opulent
2011 Riserva. Only fruit from the estate's oldest vines (some up to 80 years of age) makes
it into this bottling, and that old-vine concentration shows in the wine's dense flavors:
notes of black cherry and umeboshi plum
layered with iodine, basil and smoke. The
tightly packed flavors need time to unfold,
so it's best to decant this several hours before
serving. § Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA
227322
94 | Donatella Cinelli
Colombini
$105
2012 Brunello di Montalcino Progetto
Prime Donne ^ Aromatically expressive for
the vintage, this offers scents of violets and
leafy herbs that mirror some of its flavors.
Those notes weave through the wine's deeply
concentrated flavors, the black cherry and
plum carried along by a wave of dark minerality. The firm, polished tannins add to the
wine's elegant appeal. A selection of the best
Brunello lots, the wine aged for two years in
large casks. § Banville Wine Merchants, NY
228434
94 | Le Ragnaie
$165
2013 Brunello di Montalcino Ragnaie V.V. ^
Riccardo Campinoti farms his vines organically and ages his Brunellos (all three rec114
WINE & SPIRITS
APRIL 2018
ommended here) for three years in large
Slavonian casks, allowing the vineyard characteristics of each one to take center stage.
The V.V. (Vecchie Vigne), from 45-year-old
vines that grow on a slope reaching 1,960
feet in altitude, is tightly wound, unfolding
gradually to reveal flavors of dark cherry and
plum laced with herbs and smoked meat.
Notes of anise, fennel seed and green peppercorn swirl through the fruit flavors, propelled by brisk acidity. The mouth-coating
tannins feel cool but need plenty of time to
soften. § Vine Street Imports, Philadelphia, PA
227818
93 | Fuligni
$92
2012 Brunello di Montalcino ^ Fuligni's
vineyards, 1,470 feet up Montalcino's eastern slope, gave a wine with red-berry flavors
that feel taut and precise despite the warm
2012 vintage. With exposure to air, notes of
thyme and fennel seed emerge, along with a
hint of cinnamon that warms the bright fruit
flavors. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
227341
93 | Siro Pacenti
$94
2012 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie
Vigne ^ Giancarlo Pacenti harvests fruit from
vines at least 35 years old for this bottling.
In the warm 2012 vintage, it's a dark-fruited,
mineral-driven Brunello, the black-cherry
flavors ripe and chewy, balanced by mouthwatering acidity. Two years in French oak
barriques imparted warm spice notes and a
lush texture. § Michael Skurnik Wines, NY
227378
93 | Il Poggione
$90
2012 Brunello di Montalcino ^ This wine's
dark cherry flavors take a back seat to its
smoky and savory notes of grilled game and
firm, ferrous tannins. Bright acidity lifts the
finish, providing the freshness that will allow
this to age well for at least a decade. § Terlato
Wines Int'l, Lake Bluff, IL
228436
93 | Le Ragnaie
$165
2013 Brunello di Montalcino Fornace ^ Fornace comes from Castelnuovo dell'Abate, in
the south of Montalcino, where the soils-
heavy clay dotted with river stones-give a
powerful wine. Notes of oregano, basil and
plum tomato lend it a Tuscan flair, while
the tightly knit structure and vibrant acidity
keep the cherry fruit brisk and balanced. § Vine
Street Imports, Philadelphia, PA
228437
93 | Le Ragnaie
$90
2013 Brunello di Montalcino ^ Riccardo
Campinoti blends fruit from five vineyards
in different areas of the Montalcino zone to
produce this wine. It rides the edge between
lean and lush with its cool, mineral tannins
and bright cherry flavors, darker tones of
blistered tomato and smoked game adding
depth. § Vine Street Imports, Philadelphia, PA
227190
92 | Fattoria dei Barbi
$59
92 | Brunelli
$70
92 | Donatella Cinelli
Colombini
$68
2012 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^
This wine combines red-berry flavors with
notes of fennel, bay leaf and roasted tomato
in a mid-weight structure. The tannins feel
fine-grained, giving the wine immediate
appeal. § Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY
228323
2013 Brunello di Montalcino ^ This is juicy
and ripe, the brambly berry flavors buoyed
by lively acidity and cool minerality. Notes
of damp bark and forest floor lend an earthy
component while muscular tannins impart
a brawny rusticity. Decant it for double-cut
pork chops. § August Wine Group, Seattle, WA
227361
2012 Brunello di Montalcino ^ Wild-cherry
flavors mingle with notes of licorice and sage
in this precise, balanced Brunello. The wine
aged in a mix of large and small oak barrels,
picking up notes of sweet spice that amplify
the red and black fruit. It finishes on a warm,
smoky note. § Banville Wine Merchants, NY
228066
92 | Pertimali Livio Sassetti $78
2012 Brunello di Montalcino ^ Scents of jasmine and fresh herbs give way to vivid flavors
of red cherry and sour plum. Those lifted
aromas and the wine's cool, mineral tannins
are indicative of fruit grown in Montalcino's northern sector, on the Montosoli hill.
Decant it to allow those tannins to soften, but
keep some in your glass to enjoy the aromatic
development. § Massanois Imports, NY
228047
91 | La Rasina
$55
90 | Castello Banfi
$95
2012 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^ A
dark, rich rendering of Brunello, this is dense
with flavors of warmed black cherry and
plum laced with spice, smoke and graphite.
Rigid tannins lend structure, and the wine
seems to gain verve with exposure to air. § Massanois Imports, NY
227723
2013 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle
Mura ^ Notes of basil and celery seed accent
this wine's just-ripe dark-cherry flavors, creating a playful tension with the lively acidity.
Two years in French oak barriques lent the
wine notes of espresso and chunky tannins
that need a few hours to soften in a decanter
before serving with game off a wood-fired
grill. § Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2018
Contents
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 1
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 2
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 3
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 4
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 6
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Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Cover4
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