BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast

ture is there but the fruit definition is less apparent.
Panebianco. —M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $60
88
Armilla 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
There’s a dark smoky element to this hearty
Brunello that recalls cured beef, moist earth, cedar,
leather and rum cake. The wine is silky and smooth,
with a noticeably clean quality to the finish.Jao Wine
Imports. —M.L.
abv: NA Price: $NA
88
Bellaria 2007 Brunello di Montalcino. This
wine’s ripe cherry fruit and milk chocolate notes
suggest softness and roundness. But the wine shows astringency
and firmness on the close. Terra Verus Trading
Co. LP. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $59
88
Casa Raia 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Dark, inky and brooding, this thickly extracted
Brunello shows thick layers of ripe cherry, crème de cassis
and blackberry with background tones of rum cake,
ground clove, cola, leather and fresh tobacco. There’s
a meaty element of bresaola or smoked bacon as well.
IPO Wines. —M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $36
88
Col di Lamo 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Milk chocolate and sweet cherry aromas appear
alongside cured meat and plump black fruit. This is a
straightforward Brunello with a creamy, soft close. Vignaioli.
—M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $65
88
Ferrero 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Showing youthful oak tones that still need time
to integrate, this wine is a bit sour and ripe at the same
time. Black cherry, tobacco, leather and spice aromas
are nice, but the tannins are firm, and the wine shows a
bright point of acidity on the close and a gritty, cookedfruit
finish. K&L Wine Merchants. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $50
88
La Fiorita 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
This hearty Brunello shows a ripe, almost jammy
personality with strawberry and raspberry preserve
notes. There are background tones of exotic spice, vanilla
and cinnamon that help support the wine’s chewy
fruit. The mouthfeel is soft and velvety. Chambers &
Chambers. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $NA
88
La Torre 2007 Brunello di Montalcino. A
pretty ensemble of floral tones, ripe fruit and
toasted almond leads into drying touches of granite and
mineral, with some root beer-like notes. Some raw berry
aromas need time to soften. Shows a silky, polished
feel, then turns compact, crisp, firm and clean on the
close. Rosenthal Wine Merchants. —M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $70
88
Le Chiuse 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Charred almond and graham cracker notes
need time to integrate. The wine is compact and lean
in the mouth, with endnotes of small berry fruit, bram-
18 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MONTH 2012
ble, white almond and cola. Frederick Wildman & Sons,
Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $50
88
Tassi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino. Subdued
on the nose, this wine still needs to stretch
its proverbial muscles. Its flavors of cherry liqueur, rum
cake, blackberry and forest underbrush give voice to a
clean, traditional winemaking philosophy. Wine Emporium.
—M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $70
87
Livio Sassetti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino.
Almost completely black, this wine reveals
inky-dark concentration and dark, jammy fruit. Shows
power and smoky barbecue aromas of soy sauce, teriyaki,
bresaola, cherry liqueur, rum cake, Spanish cedar
and sticky pipe tobacco. Cured meat and savory
spice as well. Seems extracted and overripe, with hard
tannins.Massanois Imports. —M.L.
abv: 13.5% Price: $55
2006 BRUNELLO RISERVA
98
Valdicava 2006 Madonna del Piano Riserva
(Brunello di Montalcino). This beautiful
riserva shows enormous thickness and blackness, like
midnight of a new moon. The wine delivers impenetrable
density, extraction, black fruit, spice, berry preserves,
licorice, asphalt, ground black pepper, cherry liqueur
and crème de cassis. There are seemingly no limits
to the intensity and complexity here. The mouthfeel
is dense, plush, firmly structured and very long. Keep
this Brunello safely in your cellar 20 years or more. Vinifera
Imports. Cellar Selection. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $275
96
Capanna 2006 Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino).
This riserva is simply gorgeous, with
loads of fresh fruit, mineral, spice, leather, tobacco and
long aging potential. The freshness and structure is
definitely present, while the mouthfeel is luscious and
opulent with vanilla, espresso and dried herb or menthol
overtones. Masciarelli Wine Co. Cellar Selection.
—M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $80
96
Il Poggione 2006 Riserva Vigna Paganelli
(Brunello di Montalcino). This vineyarddesignated
riserva delivers perfumed notes of red rose,
pressed flower and a bright, berry-driven bouquet. In
the mouth, this is a plump, bold wine with thick concentration
and loads of dark fruit such as blackberry and
plum. The tannic firmness suggests at least 10 years of
cellar aging. Overall, it is beautiful, elegant and bold.
Terlato Wines International. Cellar Selection. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $95
96
Tenuta La Fuga 2006 Le Due Sorelle
Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino). This
riserva shows gorgeous intensity and a beautiful, dense
texture. There’s just enough softness to cushion the naturally
high acidity of 2006. It’s firm, silky, rich, powerful
and super long. In fact, the extraordinary length is what
sets this wine apart. Age 10–15 years. Kobrand. Cellar
Selection. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $75
95
Canalicchio di Sopra 2006 Riserva
(Brunello di Montalcino). Here is a generous,
modern and bold expression of Sangiovese Grosso
whose soft layers of chocolate and dark cherry fruit help
soften the natural acidity and structure of the 2006 vintage.
A polished mineral note adds attractive definition
on the finish. Tight and very firm; age this wine 10–20
years. Vinifera Imports. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $120
95
Castello Banfi 2006 Poggio all’Oro Riserva
(Brunello di Montalcino). Poggio all’Oro
(a wine only produced in the best vintages) is a sophisticated
and austere Brunello with just a tiny dab of sweet
spice and red rose aromas on the bouquet. Beyond
those are steady, savory pulses of tobacco, leather and
dark cedar. The wine is plush, textured and rich, with a
polished firmness that keeps it grounded on the palate.
Banfi Vintners. Cellar Selection. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $150
95
Castello Romitorio 2006 Riserva (Brunello
di Montalcino). Artist Sandro Chia and his
team have delivered a lush, modern, approachable and
opulent riserva with aromas of spice, ripe fruit, chocolate
fudge and red cherry. This is a round and supple
wine, with a soft, generous mouthfeel backed by firm
structure and bright acidity. Vinifera Imports. Cellar
Selection. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $150
95
Donatella Cinelli Colombini 2006 Riserva
(Brunello di Montalcino). From an allfemale
winery, this riserva opens with a deep garnet color.
Black espresso bean, vanilla pod, toasted chestnut
and dark, brooding fruit characterize the bouquet. It is
bright and crisp in the mouth, with a sharply defined
edge and polished tannins. Banville & Jones Wine Merchants.
—M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $70
95
La Serena 2006 Riserva Gemini (Brunello
di Montalcino). This is a smooth, balanced
and intense wine that opens with a deep, saturated appearance
and plush aromas of sweet spice, rum cake,
leather, tobacco and ripe blackberry. This bold, modern
expression of Brunello shows acidity and tannins that
are firm, but not biting.A Marc de Grazia selection; various
American importers. —M.L.
abv: NA Price: $135
95
PianCornello 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). Here is a very plush, dark and
decadent riserva with soft and luscious tones of ripe
fruit, blackberry, moist earth and pipe tobacco. The
wine is smooth, dense and enduring. It can be either
aged or consumed in 3–5 years. The style reflects a soft,
round approach to the crisp 2006 vintage. Superior
Wines LLC. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $70
95
Poggio Nardone 2006 Riserva (Brunello
di Montalcino). Poggio Nardone’s 2006
riserva is a neverending journey of opulence and excellence.
Everything is delivered in supersized intensity—
the cherry, chocolate, spice, cola, cassis, leather and cedar.
The mouthfeel is soft, finely textured, shapely and