The Comeback Vintage: 2012 Brunello di Montalcino

Welcome back to Benvenuto Brunello

By: Eric Guido (Originally published at The Cellar Table Blog)

The first time I heard a reference to the 2012 vintage was while tasting the 2010 Brunellos at Benvenuto over two years ago. The problem was that the 2010’s were so promising upon release, that as often as we were told that the 2012 Rossos showed the tremendous potential of the vintage ahead, we simply couldn’t get past the excitement of the ‘10s. After all, this was the vintage that drew a line in the sand, and brought consumers back to Brunello after years of lackluster vintages.

Then came 2011, where the ripeness of fruit could literally be felt as it saturated the senses, and, in my case, actually made my teeth ache. We were told that this wasn’t such a bad thing and that the wines would be great for near-term consumption. Unfortunately, with the exception of only a small number of producers, 2011 remains a vintage in which I found very little to get excited about.

However, we can put that all aside, because now that the 2012 vintage is hitting our shores, Brunello lovers have something to be excited about. Before I say anything else, let’s address the number one question on everyone’s mind: are these as good as the 2010’s? Unfortunately, that’s a difficult question to answer, because there is some variability that’s starting to become much more apparent throughout the region. The fact is that the terroir of Montalcino has become very important, and many consumers (and winemakers) aren’t really ready to talk about it.

The north-hill soils of Le Chiuse,
mixing clay, sand and rock.

You can see a trend in Montalcino, and that’s the release of single vineyard or parcel selected bottles that come either from the more northern vineyards or from the higher elevations of southern vineyards. The reason for this is the promise that these locations perform better in warmer vintages, and let’s be honest, 2012 was a warm vintage. Many people are avoiding that fact, as the term “warm vintage” has become synonymous with overripe. However, that is a broad generalization for a region that spans 24,000 hectares (that’s 59,000 acres), with altitudes ranging between 120 - 650 meters above sea level.

Just to put things in perspective, when many producers were asked about 2012, a large percentage compared the vintage to 2011 from the perspective of warmth and the length of the growth cycle. However, there was one very big difference. Where 2011 saw drastic spikes of heat throughout the season, 2012 remained consistently warm, which allowed the vines to adapt. 2012 was also very dry from winter through August, with just enough precipitation in the early fall to aid in maturation, yet the extended drought still resulted in a 14% smaller harvest than 2011.

The barrel aging room of Poggio di Sotto
in Castelnuovo dell’Abate

So now that the numbers are out of the way, let’s talk about the wines. The 2012’s, in general, are mid-weight wines with gorgeous aromatics and intensely concentrated fruit on the palate that is offset by fresh acidity. In most cases the tannins are unexpectedly refined, especially considering the vintage conditions, and left me with a classic expression on the finish. At their best, they are enjoyable now on their freshness, (which isn’t something you’d expect from a ripe vintage, but that 2012 has in spades) yet also structured enough to go strong in the cellar for ten to fifteen years--and possibly beyond.

The vineyards of Il Poggione, south of
Sant'Angelo in Colle

The pitfalls of the vintage lay in the lower elevations and areas that experience a more Mediterranean climate. Here we need to pick and choose. Though there are a number of standouts, such as the ever-reliable Il Poggione and Uccelliera, other producers turned out a set of wines that are highly enjoyable and easily gulpable, which ultimately is not what the average Brunello buyer is looking for.

When all is said and done, 2012 is the vintage we’ve been waiting for. These wines will not take twenty years to come around, yet are serious contenders for mid-term cellaring. They will be enjoyable early because of their aromatics and youthful appeal, but will also go the long haul in the cellar. In the end, it’s a highly enjoyable vintage and a perfect comeback following the 2011’s.

On To The Tasting Notes:

The sun rising over Montalcinos northeast

Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - Upon first pour, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is dark, imposing and monolithic; yet with time in the glass, an array of crushed cherry, sweet herbs, cedar, and moist earth tones come forward. On the palate, I'm finding velvety textures with a fresh core of vibrant acidity adding verve, as notes of tart berry, cherry, plum and exotic spice set upon the senses. The finish is long and structured with herbal dark red fruits lasting throughout. I can imagine that five years or more will do this wine a lot good, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from there. (95 points)

Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa is intense and layered with fresh red berries up front, giving way to earth tones, savory herbs and minerals. On the palate, silky-broad textures coat the senses while tart red berries and zesty acidity provide lift. Hints of spice, leather and inner florals last on the finish, along with fine-grain tannin that promises years of development. (95 points)

Castello Romitorio in the northwest of Montalcino

Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta is gorgeous, showing depths of black and red fruits, dark floral tones and notes of undergrowth. On the palate, I'm finding soft, velvety textures which are contrasted by zesty acid, minerals and tart red fruits, with notes of spice and cedar. It finishes long, structured and balanced with persistent red berry fruits and spices. What a difference this northwestern vineyard makes from the normale. This is a beautiful 2012 Brunello for the cellar. (94 points)

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli is stunning with dark red fruits, plum, sweet florals, dark chocolate, and hints of undergrowth. Here I'm finding silky, deep textures which seem to coat all of the senses, giving way to dried red berries, earth, leather tones and fine tannin. It finishes structured, yet with sweet tannin and a coating of dark red fruit. (94 points)

Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino lifts up with a spellbinding and perfumed bouquet, with notes of ripe strawberry, cranberry, dried spices and undergrowth that develop in the glass. On the palate, soft textures offset vibrant acidity and fine tannin, as inner florals, earth and berry tones soothed the senses. It finishes long on dried berries, hints of spice and young tannin, promising many years of development. This is simply a pleasure to taste, and it is deceptively enjoyable today--yet the best is yet to come. (94 points)

Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino from Castello ROmitorio is gorgeous, with a bouquet of black cherry, floral undergrowth, moist soil tones, and sweet spices wafting up from the glass, developing to show dusty dried flowers. On the palate it's silky with a medium-bodied frame, savory minerals and tart cherries. This is incredibly long on the finish with concentrated red fruits, a saline flourish and fine tannins. (93 points)

The aging cellar of Uccelliera and Voliero

Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The nose on the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is classic, displaying crushed strawberry, dusty florals, earth, leather and hints of cinnamon spice. On the palate, silky textures host notes of tart red berry, exotic spice, minerals, energized by zesty acidity, and ending with a web of fine tannin. The finish is long and refined with a classic structure and persistent red fruits. The 2012 should have many, many years of development in store for us. (93 points)

Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne 2012 - The nose on the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne is deep and intense with luscious, ripe blackberry fruit tones backed by notes of sweet herbs and dusty florals. It has a an almost-juicy persona with vibrant yet silky textures showcasing black and red berries with savory mineral underpinnings. It finishes long and textural on sweet spice and cherry liquor. Yum. (93 points)

Capanna Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino sports soaring dark red fruits and floral tones with hints of spice and damp earth. On the palate, I'm finding velvety textures with smooth tannins, crushed strawberry, plum and sweet inner floral tones. The finish is long, showing dark fruits and fine tannin that coats the senses. (93 points)

Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is dark with masses of sweet and spicy black cherry, chocolate and floral tones. Here I'm finding soft textures backed by intensely concentrated dark red fruits, spice and hints of mocha. Even through the richness in this glass, a wave vibrant acidity provides freshness, which lasts throughout the finish. This may not be my personal preference for Brunello, but it’s a solid performer for those looking for an extroverted style. (92 points)

Col di Lamo Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Col di Lamo Brunello di Montalcino shows perfumed red berry fruit and floral tones with hints of dusty spice and wax. On the palate, I'm finding silky, refined textures offset by saturating dark red fruits and fine tannin. Persistent red berries continue to resonate through the finish, nearly masking the refined tannin that coated the senses. (92 points)

Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is dark and earthy with notes of crushed strawberry, exotic spices and hints of undergrowth. On the palate, I'm finding silky textures on a medium-bodied frame with tart, dark red fruits and lifting inner floral tones. Its fine tannins make themselves known throughout the finish, along with a lasting impression of concentrated wild berry fruit. (92 points)

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - Here I find a lifted mix of red berry fruit, plum, and dark chocolate as the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino lifts from the glass. I displays silky textures made vibrant though zesty acidity with spicy red fruits and hints of leather. It finishes medium-long on dried strawberry and hints of herbs. Not too shabby. (92 points)

Vines thriving in Montalcinos
warm and dry southwest.

Talenti Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino displays perfumed florals, dark cherry, and hints of moist soil. Its silky textures flood the senses over a medium-bodied frame with notes of tart cherry and hints of herbs, yet there is a pleasing richness here that surprises me. The finish displays medium length and fresh red fruits. (91 points)

Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino displays a perfumed bouquet with notes of tart red berry and minerals. On the palate, I'm finding medium-bodied textures with dark red fruits ushered in by acid-driven silky textures. Hints of earth and spice linger on the finish. (91 points)

Voliero Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is remarkably pretty and refined, displaying tart red berries, spice and dusty earth. On the palate, an intensely fruited burst of energy levels out into silky, balanced textures with a core of crystalline minerality and spice. The finish is long, with light tannins coating the senses and notes of dried cherry lingering on. (91 points)

Tenuta Buon Tempo Brunello di Montalcino "P. 56" 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino "P. 56" shows pretty red florals with dusty spice, minerals and hints of candied cherry. On the palate, soft textures offset persistent red berry fruits, dark earth and savory minerality. It finishes on bitter cherry, spice and hints of fine-grained tannins. (91 points)

Tenuta Buon Tempo Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino lifts up with a mix of plum, cherry and cranberry, before giving way to woodsy earth tones and spice. Here I'm finding tart red fruits on a medium-bodied frame with a core of minerality which settles on the back palate. The finish is shorter than expected, seeming almost hollow, with hints of bitter red fruits lingering. (89 points)

Pian Delle Vigne (Antinori) Brunello di Montalcino 2012 - The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is dark, imposing and intense with spicy candied red fruit and notes of plum. On the palate I'm finding weighty textures with sweet and sour cherry and spice, yet it's a bit one-dimensional. The finish is long with bitter dark red fruits. (88 points)

The Master of Traditional Barolo: Giuseppe Rinaldi History & Retrospective Tasting

From The Cellar Table @Morrellwine

Giuseppe Rinaldi is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting producers in Barolo today. Giuseppe, known locally as Beppe, took control of the family winery in 1992 after the death of his father, Battista. Beppe was a veterinarian by trade, yet taught the principals and methodologies of creating traditionally-styled Barolo from his father. With five generations of grape-growing and winemaking experience in the family, Giuseppe Rinaldi wines were already considered among one the greatest expressions of Barolo, long before Beppe took over the estate.

His father, Battista Rinaldi, a serious man and trained enologist, took over the winery back in 1947. With family holdings in Brunate, Le Coste and Ravera, he brought the Rinaldi name to eminence. Giuseppe RInaldi Barolo Brunate Riserva 1985During this time, he also purchased their parcel in Cannubi San Lorenzo, and from these four vineyards, created two different Barolo. A straight Barolo, which was blended for balance from a mix of the family vineyards, and a single-vineyard Brunate, or Brunate Riserva. It was the Brunate Riserva, which was said to be made only in the greatest vintages and aged for ten years prior to release (think Giacomo Conterno Monfortino), that is a legend to this day.

In 1992, when Beppe took the reins at Giuseppe Rinaldi, the only real change that was made was to remove the Brunate from the winery’s portfolio and only make two blended Barolo. And so, Brunate – Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo – Ravera was born. It was Beppe’s belief, in the true traditional style, that the greatest heights to which Barolo could reach could only come through blending. Although this was not a popular belief during the ‘90s, as the modern movement swept through Piedmont, Beppe held fast and refused to change.

At the time, the world wanted large-scaled, dark Barolo that was inflected with new oak and could be enjoyed younger, which was everything that a Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo was not. In turn, Beppe Rinaldi was grouped together with Bartolo Mascarello and Teobaldo Cappellano, as the last of old-time traditionalists.

It’s because of this that, as the popularity of Barolo swept across the globe and prices climbed, Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo remained heavily unaffected. Yet, behind the media hype and a new generation of Barolo drinkers who had never experienced the greatest traditionally-style wines, were the long-time collectors who knew better. Giuseppe Rinaldi became one of the greatest under-the-radar producers of the late nineties and early two-thousands. I still recall a time, not so long ago, when a Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo would only cost me $55.

So what happened? To a large degree, tastes changed. However, what was an even larger influence on the public was Italian wine writer Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media, who was an avid fan of traditional Barolo and would regularly seek out and taste the great wines of the past century. As Antonio’s following grew, and from the platform of The Wine Advocate, the public began to experiment, and they liked what they found.

Things have changed quite a bit in the last eight years. Today, the names Bartolo Mascarello, Teobaldo Cappellano, Giacomo Conterno and Giuseppe “Beppe” Rinaldi are on the minds of Barolo collectors around the world. Each are traded at a premium and often allocated to partial case quantities at the retail level. However, through all of this, very little has changed at Giuseppe Rinaldi.

Chemicals are never used in the vineyards, with only occasional manure to fertilize and a limited amount of copper and sulfur. In the winery, Beppe uses spontaneous fermentation with wild yeast, which takes place in neutral wooden vats, and then ages in large Slavonian cask. Beppe learned from his father, who learned from his father before him, and he sees nothing wrong with keeping things just the way they were.

The only change we see today is one that has been enforced by the Barolo consortium, and that is the new MGA labeling laws, which has forced producers to only list one vineyard on a bottle of Barolo, or be left to list no vineyard designation at all. But there is a silver lining, in that a producer can list a vineyard name on a label, yet still add up to 15% of another vineyard to the wine (don’t try to make sense of this; it is Italy). And so, Brunate – Le Coste has now been name Brunate only, with the addition of 15% Le Coste added. Although this is a change from (around) 40% added in the past, it still allows Beppe to blend. What’s more, Cannubi San Lorenzo, has become Tre Tine, with the addition of the Le Coste juice that was once used for Brunate. With the 2010 vintage and with the new rules in place, I can say with absolute confidence that Giuseppe Rinaldi continues to make two of the greatest Barolo in Italy today.

You can imagine that when the time came to participate in a Giuseppe Rinaldi vertical tasting, everyone involved was ecstatic. The vintages assembled represented not only Beppe’s amazing wines from the nineties and beyond, but also a duo of magical Barolo that were created by his Father.

Before digging into the notes and the scores, I think it’s important to list a few of my general impressions, because I believe that they give good insights to the differences between Giuseppe Rinaldi and your average Barolo.

Firstly, we often hear the term “buy the producer, not the vintage,” and this has never been more evident as it was at this tasting. The 2003 Brunate – Le Coste (a hot year that has proven to be very disappointing across the region) was absolutely gorgeous. It was vibrant with grip, drive and freshness to the fruit that is unheard of for the vintage.

The 2007 Brunate – Le Coste (another ripe year that has been aging unevenly for many Barolo) was epic. In fact, had it not been immediately followed by the classically-structured 2008, I may have thought it to be the best of the Brunate – Le Coste post the 1999 vintage. I believe this is a great example of Beppe’s belief in blending different vineyards for balance.

Second, I find it amazing how the fruit and floral profile of Giuseppe Rinaldi is so different from other Barolo. The fruit here is dark, accentuated by minerals, and there is often a violet floral note, especially in the Brunate – Le Coste. It’s quite beautiful.

Third, my personal belief is that the Brunate – Le Coste is “The” wine of Giuseppe Rinaldi. Where each example of Cannubi San Lorenzo – Ravara was gorgeous, and I would never pass up an opportunity to taste, there’s simply something about the classic structure and zesty acidity of Brunate – Le Coste that drives me wild.

For my tasting notes, and many more photos, Check out The Cellar Table!

Was It Worth All The Hype? A 2005 Bordeaux Retrospective

It’s funny how things can come full circle. I clearly remember the release of 2005 Bordeaux and all the hype surrounding it. I remember Robert Parker raving about the strength of the vintage and how it would go down in history as one of the greatest that Bordeaux had ever seen.

www.winespectator.com

I also recall the Wine Spectator toning in, with James Suckling confirming what we had all been told, and I clearly remember buying that issue off of a newsstand.

I looked at the wines—I didn’t have the option to taste them—and decided not to pull the trigger. Even with a daughter that was born in 2005 (i.e. a great birth year wine option). In the end, it was fear. Fear that I was buying in to the “Hype Machine” of wine critics, fear that I would never enjoy these wines, and fear that they would not appreciate in value, even though all the pros swore they would.

And so, in the end, I did not buy.

Little did I know that, seven years later, I would have a chance to taste so many of these from a perfectly-stored collection. A collection that was bought en premier and stored perfectly up until the very night that they were uncorked and poured for me. Now I look back and feel a great deal of remorse. It was a lesson learned; but even today, as I taste through them, I’m contemplating—should I buy 2005 Bordeaux?

The fact is that Bordeaux as a “brand” is not what it used to be. The escalating prices of wines upon release have pushed many fans and collectors out of the market. This is not because of the great vintages, but because of the ones that were simply good or very good, that stayed at their elevated price points. However, there is another reason as well, and that is how many supposedly “GREAT” vintages have followed since 2005. It’s hard for the average consumer to buy a wine based on what it may one day become, as most Bordeaux isn’t ready to drink upon release.

However, at this time, I can confidently say that 2005 was a great vintage in Bordeaux. At some Chateau, it was probably the best they have ever produced. Even with the 2009s and 2010s being hyped and pushed upon us day after day, 2005 is where my money will likely be spent.

Why? Because it truly is classic.

For the full article, 27 tasting notes and many more photos, visit: The Cellar Table