2012 Brunello di Montalcino Annata
By Biondi Santi
2012 Brunello di Montalcino Annata from Biondi Santi
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Annata from Biondi Santi has firmly secured its place in the pantheon of illustrious Italian vintages. The vineyard, located in the heart of Tuscany, has been blessed with ideal weather characterized by a mild spring and a hot summer, which culminated into an exceptional harvest year that has rewarded us with this remarkable wine.
Contact with Elegance, a Wine Investor's Delight
Biondi Santi, a name embraced amongst serious wine investors for its consistency and regard for tradition, offers a unique expression of Sangiovese with this vintage. Each sip is a testament to the winemaker's skill, as it bridges the gap between previous and subsequent vintages, creating a journey through time for the palate. Most certainly, this 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Annata stands at the centre of that delightful journey.
The taster is initially greeted with succulent black cherry notes, layered gracefully over supple hints of leather and tobacco. As one delves deeper into this complex concoction, nuances of dried rose petals and aromatic herbs dance around a core of luminous acidity and finely-knit tannins.
Rich 2012 Vintage: A Unique Affair
Italian fine wines most notably excel when a challenging yet rewarding climatic conditions condense their intrinsic charm into something extraordinary. Just like the sizzling 2012 vintage. It demonstrated how even periods of warmth, punctuated with cool nights, could yield wines of character and longevity.
Meticulous attention played during this vintage secures it as one of Italy’s triumphant years: intense complexity coupled with robust structure learnt from the memorable vintage. A testament to Biondi Santi's proficient viniculture practices.
Your first encounter with this Brunello sends your palate domino-falling into a realm of deep forest fruit, culminating in graceful whispers of sweet spices and notes of rich mocha on the finish, making it a stellar investment choice for discerning collectors of Italian fine wines.
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Annata from Biondi Santi is indeed a well-articulated sonnet in a bottle. Journey through its stanzas and embrace the captivating scribe of seasons etched in every sip.
Market price (USD)
$1,780.00
12x75cl
Highest score
90
POP score
146
Scores and tasting notes
It's always such a pleasure and an honor to be in front of a bottle of Biondi-Santi. These wines deliver a sense of history and tradition that puts them into a very elite group of Italian icons. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Annata shows a medium garnet color with pretty ruby highlights. The bouquet emits dark fruit, cassis, balsam herb, tar and cola. This vintage shows the classic aromas that are associated with the venerated Il Greppo estate, but there is a little less focus and sharpness here compared to a great vintage like 2010. Instead, this wine is more veiled and opaque in terms of its aromatic presentation. The mouthfeel is lean (too lean in my opinion) and you don't get the same chiseled acidic determination in this 2012 vintage. You'll need to wait a few years more before it begins to show its potential. Following rigorous tradition, this wine is aged in large Slavonian oak casks for three years. Some 50,000 bottles are produced.
Monica Larner - The Wine Advocate, 28 February 2017