BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast

intensity but not in an exaggerated fashion. The tannins
are dry, firm and dusty and there’s a wood-driven finish
of spice and rolled pipe tobacco. Orvino Imports & Distribution.
—M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $45
91
Donna Olga 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Inky dark concentration combines with a youthful,
almost grapy quality in the mouth. Cola, chewy
fruit, ripe density and exotic spices all are present while
the mouthfeel is lean, crisp and structured. . —M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $NA
91
Fattoria dei Barbi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Licorice, ripe fruit, ginger, lemon zest,
crushed stone, cassis and wild berry notes are bold,
but in the mouth the wine is lean and compact, with a
particularly bright and fresh feel in the mouth. There’s
even a menthol note at the very end. Pasternak Wine
Imports. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $49
91
Fattoria La Lecciaia 2007 Brunello di
Montalcino. Spice and bright notes of dried
tobacco, ginger, cola and black pepper mark this wine,
which displays deep richness and intensity. Crisp, clean
finish. Monsieur Touton Selection Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $40
91
Fuligni 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Here’s a youthful expression of Sangiovese
Grosso in which the grape’s trademark acidity and fruity
brightness shine through. Cherry, white almond, dried
raspberry and rum cake notes present a soft, chewy feel
in the mouth, although the overall structure is solid.
Empson (USA) Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $90
91
Il Poggiolo E. Cosimi 2007 Terra Rossa
(Brunello di Montalcino). Very oak driven,
with notes of cinnamon, vanilla, exotic spice, toasted coconut
and dark chocolate. There is dark fruit, like cherry
and blackberry, at the back. Ripe tannins impart a
plush, rich mouthfeel and loads of dense, chewy intensity.
Enotec Imports, Inc. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $65
91
Il Poggione 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Inky-black appearance. Ripe, concentrated
notes of blackberry and raspberry jam are framed by
bold tannins with an astringent bite at the end. Terlato
Wines International. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $80
91
La Cerbaiola 2007 Salvioni (Brunello di
Montalcino). A full-bodied wine with cured
meat, barbecue, black fruit, toasted almond, leather and
tobacco aromas. It feels smooth and opulent, with good
structure and a velvety texture. Vias Imports. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $167
91
La Collina dei Lecci 2007 Brunello di
Montalcino. Classic Brunello, albeit in a bold,
dense style. Delicate, ethereal Sangiovese accents
emerge, but the wine is also packed tight with modern
aromas of spice, leather and dark chocolate. It shows
nice balance and complexity. Textured tannins and tight
16 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MONTH 2012
structure keep it firmly in place. Monsieur Touton Selection
Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $40
91
La Fornace 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
This wine displays pretty, feminine aromas and
a bright mouthfeel. A polished mineral note follows red
berry, cassis and plum. Drying tannins provide ample
structure. Vignaioli. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $65
91
La Pieve 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
This Brunello offers a distinctive note of spice,
leather, moist earth or porcino mushroom at the start
that slowly segues to dried fruit, prune and black currant.
There’s also cured beef and smoked bacon fat. It
offers, big, plush and bold tones with chewy concentration
and sweet cherry fruit on the close. David Vincent
Selection. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $NA
91
Lambardi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Concentrated and dense, with bold red fruit,
deep spice notes and overtones of tobacco, bresaola,
leather and cigar box. It’s a bold, masculine wine but
restrained and elegant at the same time. Despite the
bold bouquet, the mouthfeel is rather compact and
firm. It leaves the palate refreshed. Petit Pois Corporation.
—M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $NA
91
Podere La Vigna 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
A dark, garnet-colored appearance
with brooding, masculine tones of spice, ripe fruit, dark
cherry, as well as beautiful balsam notes of cola, dried
mint and ginger. Balanced, not overdone. Let the tannins
soften with age. Royalty Importers. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $67
91
San Felice 2007 Campogiovanni (Brunello
di Montalcino). Inky-dark and superconcentrated.
Notes of coal, licorice, crushed peppercorn,
river stone and dark fruit are so big and bold, it’s hard to
imagine with which foods it would pair best. Premium
Brands. —M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $60
91
Sesti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino. Tobacco,
dried fruit, cassis, currant, blackberry
and old leather notes mark the nose. Finely textured
and polished, with a mineral tone, leather, ripe fruit and
prune flavors. A pretty, elegant expression of Montalcino
and of Sangiovese. Bright acidity, too. Kermit Lynch
Wine Merchant. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $NA
91
Tenuta Friggiali 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Bright delivery with aromas of cola,
root beer, humus, crème de cassis, forest berry and wild
raspberry. It shows finely textured tannins with a bitter
almond or bitter chocolate aftertaste. Brambly, sharp,
acidic and well defined. —M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $NA
91
Tenute Niccolai 2007 Podere Bellarina
(Brunello di Montalcino). Aromas of blackberry,
plum cake, leather, Indian spice, crushed stone,
black pepper and teriyaki sauce. The extraction is in-
credibly dense, making this wine almost above food
pairing (try it with aged cheese). Very structured, but
ripe tannins. Age 10 years or more. Angelini Wine.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $70
91
Tenute Silvio Nardi 2007 Brunello di
Montalcino. Black licorice, cola and cherry
liqueur open the nose and segue to black currant and
crème de cassis aromas, then forest floor, bramble and
Spanish cedar. This wine is linear, crisp and tight on the
palate, with firm tannins. Give the wine five more years
to soften. Kobrand. —M.L.
abv: NA Price: $70
91
Terre Nere 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Cassis, cola, leather, dried ginger, dried spice,
cherry and black licorice all play out on this wine’s
smooth, silky finish. Very nice length with a smooth,
silky endnote. Ripe tannins balance crisp acidity. Monsieur
Touton Selection Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $38
91
Tiezzi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino. Lean,
compact and crisp, this Brunello is redolent of
oak spice, ripe fruit, cured meat, rum cake and leather.
It shows a sharply focused mouthfeel with tight structure
and a streamlined feel. Michael Skurnik Wines.
—M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $37
91
Villa Le Prata 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Lead pencil and mineral dryness upfront
followed by dark fruit, blackberry and rum cake. The
wine presents a soft round mouthfeel, with ample structure
and length. Lingering barbecue and ripe fruit mark
the close.Vinity Wine Company. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $59
90
Casato1 2007 Voliero (Brunello di Montalcino).
An inky-black appearance and spicysavory
aromas make this the kind of Brunello you want
to drink on a really cold winter night. Tightly concentrated
and extracted, with loads of black cherry, leather
and tobacco, there are balsam notes too, but delivered
in a big, strong fashion. The smooth, silky finish that is
not overly dense or intense. A Marc de Grazia selection;
various American importers. —M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $50
90
Collelceto 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
A bright, lively Brunello that happily sheds all
pretense. It’s a wine that communicates Sangiovese
Grosso in a straightforward, confident and natural manner.
There’s bright berry fruit, firm structure and a lean,
compact mouthfeel with silky tannins. But don’t mistake
this for a simple wine. It’s not. It shows delicate complexity
and elegance. Montecastelli Selections. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $45
90
La Palazzetta 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
A youthful, bold Brunello with exotic spice,
dark vanilla bean, leather, toasted oak and chestnut.
Background tones include bramble, wild berry, blueberry
and cola. Bright and firm on the finish. T. Edward
Wines Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $45