BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast

and loaded tight with blackberry, spice and cherry aromas,
this is a beautiful Brunello that delivers intensity,
staying power and promises easy food-pairing potential.
Velvety, soft, rich and plush in the mouth. Selected Estates
of Europe Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $120
93
Palazzo 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Shows sweet blackberry or cherry liqueur aromas,
followed by spice, leather and moist pipe tobacco.
Coffee or dark espresso, too. Well structured, firm and
extracted, with good intensity and staying power. Drink
after 2018. Bedford International. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $70
93
PianCornello 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Dark, inky and thick, this hearty Brunello
begs for grilled steak. It opens with ripe fruit—blackberry,
plum and prune—and has a background rendering
of spice, leather and cigar box. It shows a big, bold
style, with loads of soft density and opulence. Good
structure, too. Drink after 2015. Superior Wines LLC.
Cellar Selection. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $60
93
Poggio Antico 2007 Altero (Brunello di
Montalcino). Pretty ensemble of bright fruit,
spice and cured meat, with ample concentration. Plump
and round in the mouth, with loads of aromatic intensity.
The mouthfeel is tight and chiseled. The Sorting
Table. —M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $94
93
Poggio Nardone 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
There’s an exotic, almost Indian personality,
with aromas of dark spice, clove and cardamom.
Black fruit, prune and currant are also in evidence.
Bold, black and inky thick. It’s soft, round and
long on the close with pretty freshness, too. Michael
Skurnik Wines. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $40
93
Quattroventi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Loads of lush cinnamon, spice, dark fruit
and overall intensity. Supple and velvety with cherry,
raspberry, vanilla and espresso bean. . —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $NA
93
San Filippo di Giannelli 2007 Le Lucére
(Brunello di Montalcino). Loads of balsam
intensity and an array of dried herb, red fruit, wild berry,
cedar wood and forest floor aromas. It’s very full and
generous in the mouth, with firm, but polished tannin.
A Marc de Grazia selection; various American importers.
—M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $60
93
San Polino 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Luscious dark fruit and huge aromatic complexity:
dark red cherry, crème de cassis, black licorice,
dried ginger and ground pepper. Defined and tight in
the mouth, with a long finish. T. Edward Wines Ltd.
—M.L.
abv: NA Price: $65
93
Siro Pacenti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
A wine that speaks of territory and tradition,
it’s clean, polished and pristine, with a nice balance
14 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MONTH 2012
between fruit and spice. Thick tannins need more time
to age and soften. Michael Skurnik Wines. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $70
93
Tenuta Carlina 2007 la Togata (Brunello
di Montalcino). Deep garnet in color, with
dark amber highlights. There’s loads of intensity here,
with ripe, syrupy fruit, blackberry preserves, prune and
dark plum. On the savory side, the wine presents an
even succession of leather, tobacco and cedar. It’s soft,
generous and thickly textured on the luscious finish.
Panebianco. —M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $72
93
Tenuta San Giorgio 2007 Ugolforte
(Brunello di Montalcino). Features sweet
fruit, plum, prune and a savory element of spice and
smoke; loads of leather and tobacco as well. Deep rich,
concentration and a plush, velvety feel. Oak tones must
still integrate, but promise a nice future. Majestic Imports.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $30
93
Tenuta Vitanza 2007 Tradizione (Brunello
di Montalcino). Thick and dark, with generous
fruit, spice, leather and tobacco. This is a wine
that does not hold back from an aromatic point of view.
Mouthfeel is tight, firm and ends with polished tannins.
Vintners Estate Direct Importing. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $45
93
Terralsole 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Shows balance and integration and a dark, inky
appearance. Blackberry, plum cake, cinnamon bun,
leather and tobacco aromas. Chewy, ripe mouthfeel
frames plush fruit, while the dusty, structured finish
features loads of dried tobacco leaf. Terralsole. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $75
92
Altesino 2007 Montosoli (Brunello di
Montalcino). Oak spice, bramble, toasted almond,
chocolate, spice, dark fruit and rum cake all
make appearances. This is tight, firm, straightforward
yet generous. The oak element will soften with more
years of cellar aging. Save for 5–10 years. Winebow.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $100
92
Belpoggio 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Bright cherry cola and root beer notes veer
beautifully onto the balsam side, with dried ginger and
chopped mint. Some firm tannic astringency needs to
soften with time, and there’s a drying mineral tone that
holds it all together. Vino Direct. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $44
92
Brunelli 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
A very dusty, dry expression of Brunello, with
tones of crushed stone and talcum powder. It’s nice
when a wine adds that mineral touch at the back of red
fruit and spice, as it gives the bouquet firmness and
backbone. Cherry, blackberry, cola and rum cake are all
there. The mouthfeel is structured, dry and compact.
Small Vineyards LLC. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $50
92
Camigliano 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
This Brunello opens with a sweet nose of
bright cherry fruit, mocha and vanilla bean. The wine’s
flavors are more savory, with some background notes of
forest floor and wild mushroom. The mouthfeel is firm
and steady, but also fresh and compact. Vias Imports.
—M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $50
92
Castelli Martinozzi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Bright and plump, very lively Sangiovese
fruit. There’s smooth richness and great staying
power to the wine’s black fruit and exotic spice. Alnam
Wine for All. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $42
92
Castello Banfi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Garnet-ruby in color, with hues of amber
at the rim. Oak tones of spice and toasted nut still need
time to integrate. The wine is bright and slightly astringent,
with a firm, polished disposition, but has nice fruit
tones of currant and cassis. Give it a few more years in
the cellar. Banfi Vintners. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $55
92
Castiglion del Bosco 2007 Brunello di
Montalcino. Smoke and dark fruit, with a
touch of drying mineral and softer background tones
of chocolate and rum cake. There’s a very polished, dry
feel to this wine. The oak notes are still integrating, and
the finish is tight and firm. USA Wine West. —M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $60
92
Collemattoni 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
This wine features thick, luscious tones
and bright notes of forest fruit and underbrush. There’s
a tight, bold quality to the tannins that suggests this
wine needs more time to age. Give it 10 more years,
as its very dense and masculine in the mouth. Vignaioli.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $67
92
Conti Costanti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
An attractive, rich style of Brunello with
loads of aromatic intensity. There’s cherry liqueur, rum
cake, cola, toasted almond, savory spice, cured meat and
tobacco. A pure, clean, long, silky close displays good
structure and acidity. Drink after 2016. Empson (USA)
Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $82
92
Cordella 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Opens with a sweet opulent nose driven by aromas
of plump cherry, moist pipe tobacco, chocolate
fudge, vanilla bean and ground espresso. But the wine is
not modern or overtly international in terms of its style.
It shows deep roots in Montalcino tradition and a bold,
overt personality. Earth, leather and dried tobacco drive
the finish. North Berkeley Imports. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $50
92
Cupano 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Dark in color and thickly extracted, with savory
notes of cured meat, beef jerky, tobacco and leather.
Fruit tones resemble dried strawberry, prune and dark
plum, giving this wine a ripe, earthy feel. Closes soft,
plush and spicy. Verdeor Select Vintages. —M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $110