Through the good offices of a couple of friends, I was very fortunate to be able to attend the afternoon tasting of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. As always with these types of events, I express my gratitude to all the reps and winery owners who make this slog of a tour and still have cheerful faces and real enthusiasm to talk to us about the wines, the vintage and the overall state of the union.
My friend Dave He was also there and we compared notes from time to time. It was also a very great pleasure to at last meet Chris VandeMarel and his dad Bill, after many attempts to do so. We had a great short conversation and one I hope to continue and expand with them in the future.
Most of the reps were serving a 2014 Rosso, 2011 regular and single vineyard Brunelli and 2010 regular and Riservas, with some 09s sprinkled in and a very few older vintages.
These are only my own very general views, before we get into the notes.
2009—kind of a strange vintage for me, a lot of idiosyncracy and not necessarily a vintage where blind I’d be in Brunello. That said, there were a couple of very good wines.
2010—So, I have absolutely loved everything I’ve tasted of the 10s so far. That didn’t change today, but this was a great chance to see so many and thus come to some additional conclusions. The regular Brunelli, almost all of them exhibit that wonderful sense of purity, flow and ballet-dancer elegance that has caught me in its snare. The difference was with the Riservas, where I found that with those, a) almost uniformly, they were, as one would expect, more closed and reticent, but b) once you coaxed, you could get at very individualistic approaches to the grape and the region and express each winery’s winemaking philosophy. That I didn’t expect.
2011—We were told there was a heat spike, I think in the fall, that required quite careful management to come out with good wine. Almost uniformly, the wines from this vintage were a) more accessible/drinkable at this stage, b) richer and sweeter in tone/feel, c) edged with a kind of charry/burnt caramel nuance that was greater or lesser but present in many of my samples, which was somewhat offputting. I’m not sure if and how that may resolve itself.
The 2014 vintage, there was more than one winery who bulked their Brunello into the Rosso. I liked most of the Rossos I tried for their easy and simply attractive drinkability.
THE WINES—this is in strict order of tasting
2011 Donatella Cinellini Colombini Brunello di Montalcino
I have a bottle of their 10 in my cellar and wanted to start here. Very chirpy, crisp stately maraschino cherry bouquet. Lighter to taste, some leather, some cocoa. It’s definitely approachable.
2010 Donatella Cinellini Colombini Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Spices are in evidence more here and it’s closed for sure. Darker plum and berry fruit to sniff. Still so tasty, sparks of light and colour and red fruit around some light sweet cedar. Lots of life ahead.
2011 Tenuto Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino
Riper plum and blackberry fruit–cassis perhaps. It is a little sharp on entry, but with good meaty flavours, cassis for sure. Interesting.
2010 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino
An intriguing smoky and roasted cocoa nuance to the raspberry fruit aromatics. Balanced and with that purity–it has a nice flow and red fruit galore, back end of snappy raspberry and that cocoa thread. Very nice
2009 La Manella I Poggiarelli Brunello Di Montalcino
Again, riper fruit and spices. From a warmer site and it does show in a richer but still fine profile. This gets to the edge without tipping over with some blackberry, plum and tamarind snip at the back. Good for this vintage.
2010 La Manella Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Again, hard to get at the stuff in here. Lots of swirling coaxes violets and floral, and a honeysuckle aspect too, up the glass. A lot of baking spices too. Boy this has grip. Needs 7 years. Plenty of tasty replays and a mineral edge too. A lot of structured wine.
2014 Lisini Rosso di Montalcino
Maybe a touch of VA on this bottle? I didn’t have the chance to go back and re-taste. It’s bright and fresh, as one would expect, with robust red fruit.
2011 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino
Lovely roses and red fruit–full of flowers. That is very nice indeed! A surprise with fresh red plums and berries and touches of herbs and florals. A very complete wine. #12
2009 Lisini Ugolaia Brunello di Montalcino
This is good too–touches of petrol in the nose, cocoa and darker fruit. To taste, this is bigger and thicker with a real sweet tobacco and black cherry side.
2010 Molino di Sant’Animo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Another one I was curious about since I picked up a bottle of their regular. Deep dark secrets here, but nice secrets. Potpourri, plum, leather…if the regular is anything like this, I’m happy. So chewy and dynamic. I said to the rep, this isn’t a wine that you taste, it’s a wine that keeps tasting YOU. I am attracted to that sometimes when it happens–that level of authority. Clearly a decade will be all to the good. #11
2011 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino
Lifted cherry and berry aromas, a nip of meat too. Dans la bouche, almost simple, fruit is right up at the front, good balance of the ripeness of plum, a small bit of char.
2011 Altesino Montosoli Brunello di Montalcino
This has more “depth” in the nuzzie of fruit and adds some blue fruit as well. This too, is ripe, but with a second identifiable layer of cocoa and some cinnamon and other things, has an elevated complexity, though still perhaps limited by the vintage.
2010 Podere Le Ripi Rosso di Montalcino
one of the few aged Rossos here. Bouquet is cedary with some nutty aspects too. Palate is quite smooth for a Rosso, has good grip, acidity and length with a pure bilberry and cherry.
2009 Podere Le Ripi Lupi I Sirene Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Aroma speaks of violets and plums and even a touch of molasses. Very strong grip in the mouth, with macerated plum and black cherry. OK
2010 Podere Le Ripi Lupi I Sirene Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Way more than “OK”. Smells a little of magic—of the Sultan’s spice tent and plum and a back end of balsam and flowers. And once you put it in your mouth, this is awesome stuff. It is tremendously polished, with leather, cocoa and spice accents around very pure sweet raspberry and plum glaze. Just superb. #2 today.
2014 Sassetti Livio Pertimali Rosso di Montalcino
offputting burnt caramel start, need to swirl to get at the candied raspberry. Yet on palate this does have some stately authority. Zingy red fruit through. Wouldn’t keep this too long.
2011 Sassetti Livio Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino
Touches of campfire around black cherry and blackberry. On the tongue, there’s a wildness to this, but I don’t mind the ride–tamarind again accents cassis, meats and leather.
2010 Sassetti Livio Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Another almost-beast, lots of fruit and floral—plum pudding washes up the nostrils. As structured as it gets in Brunello. Huge lines, wood in evidence for now, lots and lots of fruit and spice though. It should all settle down in a classic mode in…oh…12 years or so 
2014 Argiano Rosso di Montalcino
Cocoa nibs vie with roses and other floral notes in the bouquet. Palate finds this a gentler version, very suave for a Rosso, great value.
2011 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino
Again, some charcoal hits me here, light roasted herbs. Fruit si forward and middle of the mouth, a nice chocolate thread through plum and cassis.
2010 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Just 5300 bottles, I think from the Poggio a Vento vineyard. 30 months in new oak. Coffee, cocoa, violets and deadly red and black fruit assault the nose. And oooohhh…this is baby bliss. Absolutely an infant, but an infant angel. Sooo good, so much pure class with replays, iron and mineral at the back. This is more than blisscovery. Any oenophile who calls themselves one, no matter their tastes, has to give serious consideration to getting one of these in the cellar. I told the rep that if he was ready to sell a bottle, I’d get out my cheque right then and there and he could tell me what to put in for an amount. I DON’T ever do that. And really, really never for a red. There are damned few of those that I project out to 100 points. But this one could get there. 95++ and head and shoulders WOTD. It was almost beyond revelicious.
2011 La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino
Light grapey accents to scents of blue and black fruit. This is another one that is up-front in the mouth with its ripe, roasted spice and fruit.
2010 La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Light touches of tobacco and some saddle leather for sure, with plum and sweet currant eddies in the aroma. Really kinetic–another dynamic wine, but very unsettled for now, red and black fruit and tiny bits of licorice and date maybe. Interesting.
2014 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino
Relatively simple, forthright strawberry and redcurrant sniffs with edge of cappuccino. Fine, with flow and balance, but very limited in “ceiling”. Just the red fruit and some licorice.
2011 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino
macerated plums blackberry, boysenberry and cassis, touches of dark chocolate too. Dans la bouche, more grip than others from this vintage, strict black fruit with a tiny bit of lemon rind at the back.
2010 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
A little more open than the others–lilac, light coffee and plumcake make for an intriguing bouquet. This one leans to the full grip and smoky side, with cured meats around the edge and pure cassis in the middle. Leave a long, long time.
2010 Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino
Very lifted, has some flowers and leather. This is smooth and just-sweet currant and raspberry and mocha. And this is Dee-lish. Some tea at the back. #7
2010 Camigliano L’Aura Moscadello di Montalcino
Was this ever fun! I had no idea! Server believes they dry the grapes as well as getting them off the vines as a late harvest. Very lemon/key lime, but also botrytis and almost some vin de paille characteristics. This is light but very nice. Vanilla, honey and lime. Reminds me of a light barsac.
2011 Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino
Back to some cedar closet, gamey here and berry. Good right now, has carry, front end acidity and currant. But again with that slight creosote/char element.
2010 Camigliano Gualto Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Pretty combo of florals, smoke, dusty cocoa, iron and baked plum make up the aromatics here. Palate is, as one would expect, somewhat ungiving at this point. Speaks of currants, a little lemoncurd and unripe plum with sparks of espresso. Plenty going on with a li’l bacon aftertaste.
2011 Palazzo Brunello di Montalcino
Dusky plum, hints of blueberry compote and even quince scents. On the tongue, this really curls around your mouth, good replays but a touch hot.
2010 Palazzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Coffee, definite violet and lilac combo, boysenberry. This also is grippy and sweet on the entry, but backs off to the purity of currant with meat undertones. Needs more time.
2009 Palazzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Begs for a good Italian meal. Coffee, leather, cherry and plum greet the nose. Same style, and big. Too robust for me, actually, with very ripe plum and cassis fruit overlaid with beef blood.
2010 Col D’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino
Leather, some nice campfire leaves as a very light accent, some cinnamon, balsam and cassis. This is a strong wine which will need time, but everything is in place, lingers on your palate with lingonberry, plum and cocoa. Very good indeed, I like the controlled energy here a lot. #5
2008 Col D’Orcia Poggio al Vento Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
The aromatic emphasis here is on herbs–thyme and savoury–mixed in with some black cherry and unripe plum. Sweetmeats character, it fills the mouth very nicely with licks of black licorice at the sides and lots of full fruit. Tons of interest and promise. #9
2010 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Spices here, coffee and coffee crisp bouquet. Good, solid wine, le gout has flow and feel with nice mix of black cherry, plum and pomegranate. value for money, here, where it’s a little north of C$50
2009 Banfi Poggio Alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino
I’ve always loved this bottling and this is no exception, but the nose is truly intriguing with a real chocolate truffle essence and almost, I think, actual truffle too. However, on the palate, it has that lovely fanning-out quality that I’ve always found here, and this is perhaps the best 09 so far with juiciness and character carrying the day. #8
2005 Fattoria Dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
A lovely older treat. An old wood thing here, meats and dusty plum also in the bouquet. Stands the (slight) test of time, still lots of life, acidity and pure berry. I always thought myself that the 05 vintage was a little underrated in Brunello but never ended up getting any. Dommage.
2011 Caparzo La Casa Brunello di Montalcino
Boy! that jumps up and gets you with mincemeat, bright happy red fruit, pomegranate, even watermelon a little bit. Palate remains the rich happy-go-lucky front-end loaded fruit of the vintage. A kind of disconnect, a little (despite my description!) with the nose when I think of it all together, but this could be one of the better entries from the vintage in time.
2010 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Notes of mocha, dark plum, black forest cake. A very good level of balance already, plenty of tannic grip but equal play space for strong red fruit–currant and plum–and leather and sweetmeats and some light menthol too.
2013 Fanti Rosso di Montalcino
Has some smoke and vibrancy to the nose. Some green olive and herbaceousness to taste, but also some blueberry and blackberry. OK.
2010 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino
Minerals, roasted fruit, more new world. That nice flow and feel of the 10s, though, with forthright red fruit and a fine warmth (without being at all “hot”)
2010 Fanti Vigna Le Macchiarelle Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
More reserved than the regular, with nips of baking spices around black fruit, cedar and chestnut. This, though, is rich and delicious with replays and excellent length. #4
2014 Uccelliera Rosso Di Montalcino
Interesting mix of spices, pine needle and coffee in the nose. Tasty and light with red fruit.
2010 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Deep and captivating–with chestnut, meats, saddle leather, plum and blackberry. Terrific stuff—so authoritative and majestic, it has such fine class from first sip to last bit down the throat. I’d love to own some of this, #3 today, and probably about 92.
2011 Voliero Brunello di Montalcino
My friend Dave has known about these guys and says “shhhh, keep it a secret”. I found out about them last year when I bought and opened a bottle of the 2010 and found it splendid. This version, some of the riper prune-based fruit interposes with violets and plums in the aroma. In the mouth, solid has a future with blue and black fruit, but I like the 2010 much better. Still a good wine.
2011 Celestino Pecci Brunello di Montalcino
The first really odd duck today–vegetal, funky, stinky and some menthol for sure to smell. Taste gets you a blast of uber-sweet prune and plum and undercurrent of raisin. Pass.
2010 Il Grappolo Sassochetto Brunello di Montalcino
Very composed, with chickoree, cocoa and red fruit wafting up the glass. This is very, very nice too, with a warm, fuzzy flow, firm red fruit and a coffee crisp accent all just in its place. Rep said he’s trying to get this onto the shelves for C$50. At that price, it would be one of the thefts of the decade. #6 today, and that’s not just based on QPR. It’s a great wine.
2009 Il Grappiolo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
This also has an expressive bouquet, with coffee, blueberry and plum, and a tad of cardamom. And this too is much more controlled, balanced and elegant than what I’ve seen today for 09. A fine meaty thread, this would be splendid with veal or chicken. Very, very close to the Alle Mura.
2010 Ridolfi Brunello di Montalcino
High-toned slightly petrolly nose with unripe berry and liqueur. On palate, it is smooth with some underlying backbone, and spices and red plums, but not an extra feel or gear.
2010 Villa I Cipressi Selezione Zebras Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Definitely wins for best label with a multicoloured zebra pattern. But this makes it as a fine wine too, alluring mix of florals, light baking spices, pomegranate and black cherry yield to a palate that will need time for the fruit to come to the fore but has all the feel and structure and hits all the parts of your mouth in a pleasurable way. Very good.
2009 Villa I Cipressi Selezione Zebras Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Quite different than the 10, higher level of aromatic intensity, energy with meats joining the ripe fruit. All this continues on the palate. Good wine, but on the intense side.
2010 Casa Raia Brunello di Montalcino
Nice mix of spices, florals and currant with some interesting cured sweet pipe tobacco shades. Yummylicious this is! Good, everything in its place and fine flowery palate with cherry, berry and plum underpinnings. Behaves like a Burgundy in its elegant lightness. A splendid way to end the day. #10 today.
Kwa heri,
Mike
![[grin.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/5/53ba06e9b6e4b370ae7e3d7b3702ad1bda0a2d8e.gif "grin"){kind=small}
Just kidding, but it does highlight how truly variable and subjective my senses can be sometimes.