Benevenuto Brunello

Tasting Just Released 2010s, a Five ***** vintage

February 20, 2015

(Note: 2014 vintage was recently awarded three***)

Tasting Notes:

* Very Good
** Excellent
*** Exceptional

Brunello 2010
 

3. La Poderina ***

Sweet cherries and raspberry almost jammy but pristine, earthy and sweet spices violets. Supple and generous palate great acidity, fine tannins cedary finish with hints of sweet pipe tobacco. Good structure/balance.

8. Le Chiuse 

Earthy, more restrained fruit, tobacco and straw with tart red fruits. Balanced acidity and tannins, supple texture and weight. Dry finish. Solid style.

15. Mate

Some inky notes with red cherries, earthy, subtle spicing, leather. Silky palate, engaging and bright fine but firmer tannic structure.  More restrained than La Poderina, above (for example).

16. Mocali

Bright fruits - high-toned and Pipe tobacco, liquorice, vanilla. Mouthfilling wine, dry tannins throughout, more oak contact, fine spices and dry finish, dried blueberries and tobacco finish.

22. Pian della Vigne

Quite ripe - bordering on over-ripe, suggestive and plush nose, dried flowers, dried cherries. Palate is the same - dried cherry and berry flavours, intense palate, powerful and plenty of tannin. Spicy tea leaf finish.

25. Piombaia

Cedar dust, cigar box, star anise, mint, cherries and, bordering on dry. quite restrained, higher acidity very dry finish. More rustic style.

30. Poggio di Sotto ***

Tobacco first, red fruits follow, saddle leather, dried flowers and fine spices. More rustic style. Dried berry and cherry on the palate, very nice  vibrancy and expressive bright fruit. Elegant fine-boned finish. Persistent.

33. Reniere **

Star anise, a bouquet of wildflowers, purple fruits and sweet cherry. Supple entry, spice and juicy fruits kick in fine texture, powdery tannins. Very nice character, charming and quite chic.

34. Ruffino - Greppone Mazzi

Cherry and more assertive cocoa, spice, leather and earthy undertones. Bright palate not as powerful as nose seems to lead you to believe. Fruit is restrained until mid-palate then rolls into red cherry and spice flavours.

36. Salvioni *

Earthy, dark and quite closed. Mouth is leaner but finessed. Silky texture, fine sweet tannins. Mineral flavours on the finish.

39. San Polino

Cooked fruits, strawberries, tomato leaf and dried herbal notes. Savoury on the palate as well. Fruit has matured quite significantly. Drink now.

43. Sassodisole

Tomato leaf, peppery spices, tart red fruits. Showing age on palate as well. Leaner as the palate progresses. Fine tannins, cigar box finish.

38. San Lorenzo ***

Lovely bright nose, juicy, charming fruits, sweet spices, rose petals. Lovely weight and texture, juicy and engaging character. Nice lift in the culmination of the wine from almost delicate to powerful - will age well.

44. Scopetone

Quite restrained on the nose - holding tight to red fruits, leather and spice with hints of liquorice and violets. Silky entry, lovely fresh fruits mid-palate seems a bit loose. 

45. Scopone **

Black raspberry, blueberry, violets, sarsaparilla/spices. Silky texture, bright red and purple fruits. Good power on finish with drying but polished tannins.

46. Sesta di Sopra

More savoury spice, fruit and dried hers with red fruit playing backup. Fine spices and tobacco with red fruits - slightly bitter on the palate with cocoa finish.

47. Sesti

Herbal notes with tomato leaf, dried fig and cherry, savoury spices. Similar ageing/maturity on the palate. Rustic style good acidity and quite firm tannic structure on the finish.

49. Talenti ***

Bright and juicy, pristine fruit - cherry and summer berries, sweet spices. Very charming sweet fruit on the entry, good composition. Very complete and chic - feminine.

53. Tenuta di Sesta ***

Herbal, savoury and showing some age on the nose. Leather, tomato leaf and mixed brown spices, red fruits. Bright and juicy, palate is more youthful than nose, nice composition and completeness. Integrated tannins.

60. Tenuta Silvio Nardi ***

Gorgeous, jumps-out-of-the-glass aromas. Blueberry, raspberry and a bouquet of roses and lilacs. Licorice, sweet spices, supple and generous, extremely forward fruit with good structure to back it up. Fine spice, cocoa on the finish.

Read about Tenute Silvio Nardi here

64. Uccelliera*

Forward fruit - cedar and tea leaf, with a hint of mint to lift. Very focused palate, quite powerful tannins, bold acidity. Long finish with fine but grippy tannins. One for the cellar.

68. Verbena

Leaner palate, red fruit, tobacco, fine spices and leather with a slightly bitter cocoa and spice finish. Tannins dry and still have grip.

69. Villa I Cipressi*

Vanilla oak, sweet cola spices, some dried herbs and tobacco with earthy/mineral undertones. Leaner on the palate, silky texture. Less fruit, more tobacco and spice with leather in this case.

71. Villa Poggio Salvi

Very unique earthy and charred or sunbaked earth nose - undertones of purple fruits. Silky entry, similar savoury and earthy palate. Sour flavours with some rubbery hints and a dry finish.

76. Argiano **

Blueberry and black raspberry, liquorice, sweet spices and vanilla. Mouthfilling entry, very good fruit expression subtle power becomes more prevalent on the finish. Tannins are firm and very dry. One for the cellar.

80. Banfi

A bit more assertive nose, tart red cherry, herbal notes, leather and spice box. Sweet fruit leads the palate quite firm. Bright and approachable, tannins really pick up on the finish. Slightly bitter, quite warm finish.

81. Barbi

Initial closed nose. Picking up dry earth, spice, leather and tobacco. Opens up to plush purple berries. Palate is lively, tannins present and slight angular. Bittersweet cocoa finish. Solid style. Accessible.

86. Bottega

Very dark; charred earth, toasted oak,  black and red fruit begins to raisin. Palate is straightforward spicy and tobacco finish.

90. Canalicchio di Sopra*

Tight nose, spice earth, leather, tobacco and red fruits. Similar juicy red fruits on the palate. Good acidity, solid wine, balanced and classic.

93. Capana *

Tea leaf, cedar, tangy red fruits that roll into purple berries (blueberry tea). Same tea leaf flavours in the mouth, textural tannins. Great acidity but nice finesse and brightness. Very specific style, leaner more classic.

101. Castellodi Romitorio*

Very closed initially then opens up to blueberry and currents. Palate opens with tobacco and tangy red fruits, spicy and quite lean. Tobacco finish, mouthwatering acidity.

103. Castello Del Bosco

Juicy red cherry, tomato leaf, leather, fine spice, earthy and dusty. Juicy entry balanced acidity, tobacco and cedar flavours on the palate. Dry finish.

105. Cerbaia *

Very green; tomato leaf, herbs, grilled green bell pepper with tart red fruit, saddle leather. But don’t let that dissuade you; cocoa spice and good juicy palate. Silky with great balance - quite refined.

109. Col d’Orcia*

Toasted oak toast and char, sunbaked earth, dried herbs. Sweet and engaging palate. Loads of juicy red fruits, sweet spices, leather and pipe tobacco. Tannins quite integrated and fish smooth. Very charming.

111. Collemattoni

Deeper and darker nose here. Toasted sunbaked earth and leather. Palate shows very good acidity, sweet red berries, fine spices. Nice character, silky texture.

114. Cupano

Tomato leaf, leather, red fruits and savoury spice. Similar savoury palate, leaner style fine but grippy tannins. 

115. Donatella Cinellli Colombini *

Closed initially. Secondary, rich dark berries, toasted oak, sunbaked earth. Supple palate, quite concentrated and rich on the palate. Spicy and plush, modern style.

125. Il Marroneto **

Sunbaked earth, toast, tangy red and blueberry with raspberry. Quite juicy, fine structure, silky texture. Fine boned. Very chic.

126. Il Palazzone**

Engaging mix of sweet berries and grilled bell peppers, which adds to rather than overwhelm the nose. Supple and wonderfully silky palate with cocoa, leather, fresh red fruit and dry tannins with good persistence.

129. Il Poggione

Closed. Earthy and tobacco nose with shy fruit. Bright entry but leaner style, less overt fruit. 

130. La Fiorita***

Charming and upfront nose. Very engaging fruits, liquorice, vanilla liqueur, lavender and macchia. Seductive weight, silly texture. Powerful but not brutish. Very modern, still youthful, tannins likewise.

131. La Fornace.

Rubbery notes heavily toasted earth, char, savoury and meaty. Saline hints on palate, earthy, tobacco, fruit has dissipated. Very dry and tannic finish.

133. La Gerla

Smoked, hints of dried cherries, grilled bell peppers, savoury spices. Sweet fruit, showing maturity on the nose and palate

Additional Information on Brunello di Montalcino from the consorzio: