Brunello: exploring the heights

Posted on 21 February 2013

After Chianti and Vernaccia di San Gimignano I’ve moved on to the south of Tuscany. Instead of attending the Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano tasting, I’ve opted to do a more in-depth investigation of Brunello di Montalcino. And I’ve teamed up with Tim Atkin MW to visit nearly 30 estates before we join the official preview of 150 Brunellos on Friday.

Yesterday we have had one of the most intense and amazing tasting days of my life, popping in at world-class estates such as Fuligni, Poggio di Sotto, Cerbaiona and Gianni Brunelli. Three wines at Poggio di Sotto including the 2008 Brunello and 2007 Riserva were simply incredible; some of the best I’ve tasted ever. Cerbaiona replied with a 2010 Rosso di Montalcino that tasted like a 95-points Brunello. We talked, listened, watched and spat, and it was almost too much good to digest in a single day.

I’ll review each estate separately but generally speaking, the 2008 Brunellos, which are being released now, are looking good. It is not the greatest vintage on record, and I expect a number of average wines on the main tasting, but in the hands of good producers it has produced fresh, vibrant, elegant wines for the medium term. One of the challenges is high acidity and somewhat rough tannins, that needed to be managed carefully. It is a vintage similar to 2005 but better, with more elegance; it comes close to 1998.

2007, which I liked last year and which we retasted extensively, is a richer, riper year with a number of very successful wines. It can be enjoyed now while we wait for 2008 and the more structured, slightly uncharming 2006 to age. But the best 2007s will have a long life.

In fact Montalcino has been blessed with a string of good to very good vintages. 2010 is spoken of very highly by producers, though like 2008 it can be a bit challenging because of the bigger tannins. 2011 is another easy, rich year looking good in cask. I have high hopes for 2012s which despite the difficult weather, are bursting with very attractive fruit and if all goes well, should develop well in cask.

Enjoy some of the snapshots I took yesterday while I start another day of winery visits.