Brunello: Extraordinary Five Star Vintages

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1 Brunello: Extraordinary Five Star Vintages In outstanding vintages, Brunello di Montalcino is truly one of Italy's greatest wines. This fall, in a special effort to transfer our superb collection of Brunello di Montalcino to your cellars, Spirit Haus is offering our normal 15% case discount on just three bottles of any and all Brunello we have in stock.. Many of these specially selected producers we have been following closely since the highly touted 1997 vintage. Others only since I would be most happy to assist in putting together three (or more) bottles that fit your preferred style and budget. Our sale prices range from just over $38 to $84. And since we have a few bottles of vintages 2006 and 2007, you could put together a package that included both older and the current 2010 releases. We are most happy with our selections over the years and wish to share them with you. Limited Availability; mix/match three bottles for 15% discount Vinous WA WS 2006 Capanna Brunello di Montalcino 2006 $53.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 2006 $54.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2006 $79.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Tenuta La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino 2007 $59.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino 2007 $79.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2007 $79.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino 2008 $79.99; less 15% sale discount = $ , Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $44.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Capanna Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $54.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Capanna Brunello di Montalcino 2010 [375ml] $27.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $59.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $59.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $63.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Le Chiuse di Sotto Gianni Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $56.99; less 15% = $ Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $71.99; less 15% sale discount = $ Canalicchio di Sopra Ripaccioli Brunello di Montalcino 20 $101.99; less special 20% = $ Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchia Vigne 2010 $104.99; less special 20% = $ *Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli 2010 $59.99; less 15% sale discount = $ *note: Reluctantly, because availability for us of this young vine 2010 Pelagrilli bottling was dependent upon our purchasing Pacenti's flagship Old Vine Vecchie Vigne Brunello, sales of the Pelagrilli are linked to the VV on a one to one basis. So sorry to have to ask you to purchase both at this time. Thank you for your understanding. Capanna Brunello di Montalcino 2006 $54.99; less 15% special sale discount = $46.75 Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate (May 2011): Capanna s 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a gorgeous, substantial wine endowed with tremendous purity in its dark red fruit. Smoke, tar, roses and licorice develop on the mid-palate, adding further complexity. The round, harmonious finish is equally impressive. This is a decidedly young, vibrant wine with a long, future ahead of it. The wine s sheer concentration and depth are remarkable. The Brunello was fermented in oak uprights, then spent 38 months in Slavonian oak casks of ranging from 10 to 25 hectoliters. This is the finest wine I can remember tasting from Capanna in some time. Anticipated maturity: points. Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar, Jul/Aug 11: Bright deep red with ruby highlights. High-toned aromas of black fruits and licorice; conveys a slightly roasted impression. Creamy and ripe but seems rather energetically extracted, showing a medicinal quality and a slight tart edge to its black fruit flavors. Despite its suggestion of super-ripeness, this wine finishes with chewy, drying tannins and a tart quality. 88 points. Capanna Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $54.99; less 15% special sale discount = $46.75 Antonio Galloni Vinous Feb. 2015: Sweet red cherries, flowers, mint, white pepper and tobacco grace the palate in the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino. Although the 2010 is aromatically expressive, the tannins remain quite firm and unyielding. Readers will have to give this mid-weight, classically built Brunello at least a few years in the cellar to come together. All the elements are in place for the 2010 to deliver superb drinking a few years down the line. Drink: points. Monica Larner erobertparker.com # 217 (Feb 2015): Capanna's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino shows some of the ripest fruit I have tasted in this vintage. There are aspects of the bouquet that taste downright jammy with overtones of strawberry and blackcurrant. The wine's concentration is dense, dark and brooding. The bouquet is similarly dense with fruit-forward tones that affirm the bounty of its primary aromas. The wine is also a bit raw and chewy at this young stage in its evolution Drink: points.

2 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 2006 $54.99; less 15% special sale discount = $46.75 Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate (May 2011): The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is fabulous in this vintage. Waves of dark fruit caress the palate as this juicy, delicious wine reveals its considerable charms. The fruit shows lovely weight and richness while maintaining an essentially mid-weight personality. Sweet scents of French oak linger on the round, caressing, impeccable finish. This is an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade-plus. The harvest took place from the 2nd to the 5th of October. The wine spent 24 days on the skins, after which it was racked into cask, where it spent 45 months prior to being bottled. Anticipated maturity: points. Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar, Jul/Aug 11: Good full red. Musky, oak-influenced aromas of mocha, coffee and cocoa powder. Then juicy and sweet in the mouth, with ripe, harmonious acidity framing the chewy red fruit and dried rose flavors. Surprisingly delineated in light of the nose. Finishes with serious but fine dusty tannins and excellent length. 92 points. My visit with Giacomo Neri was fascinating. I had the opportunity to taste a number of fabulous wines, but the bottle that left the deepest impression on me was the 1981 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Though not explicitly identified as such, the 1981 Riserva was the first wine the estate made from the Cerretalto vineyard. The wine spent a full six years in cask, yet remains fresh and striking today, despite the average (at best) quality of the vintage. Most interesting of all is that the house s trademark richness was already in place years before Giacomo Neri took over wine making duties from his father. Wine Spectator: There are plenty of cherry and plum flavors in this rich red, along with notes of bramble, spice and camphor. The tannins are dense and assertive now, and a sweet fruit component balances the finish, ending with a long aftertaste. Best from 2013 through ,860 cases made. 8/31/ points. -BS Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $59.99; less 15% sale discount = $51.00 James Suckling: Gorgeous aromas of sea salt, savory, smoked meats and dried fruits follow through to a full body, with fine tannins and a long and intense finish. So beautiful and enticing. Goes on for minutes. Excellent quality for the standard bottling of this winery. Better in Points Monica Larner erobertparker.com # 217 (Feb 2015): The outstanding 2010 Brunello di Montalcino gives you everything you want to see in a great wine, a great Tuscan wine. This monumental expression of Sangiovese delivers top-notch intensity with seamless integration of aromas. They span from dark fruit and Morello cherry to chocolate, spice, licorice, balsam herb and rosemary sprig. The energy and vitality of the vintage is locked perfectly within. This Brunello exhibits especially soft, silky tannins with long persistence and momentum. There is nothing out of place and the price tag is certainly not exaggerated for this level of excellence. 96 points. Tenuta La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino 2006 $59.99; less 15% special sale discount = $51.00 Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate (April 2012): The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino flows with the essence of black cherries, smoke, tar, licorice, French oak and violets. This dark, sensual Brunello possesses gorgeous inner perfume and an open, textured personality that makes it quite enjoyable even at this early stage. Drinking window: points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2011: Good full, deep red. Complex, expressive nose offers blackberry, black raspberry, sassafras, cola, earth, licorice, mocha and minerals. Sweet, pliant and rich, but with very good energy and an impression of strong extract to the flavors of red fruits and spices. Boasts very good density and volume but excellent definition as well. Finishes long and subtle, with firm tannins and heady aromatic lift. This wine tightened up with air, suggesting that it really should be cellared. 92 points. Tenuta La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino 2007 $59.99; less 15% special sale discount = $51.00 Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate (April 2012): The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino fleshes out beautifully on the palate. This is an especially dark, voluptuous Brunello with shades of blue and black fruit, licorice, spices and tobacco. Layers of fruit flow effortlessly to the round, polished finish, where floral notes add an element of brightness. The 2007 is bold, juicy and forward. Readers who enjoy the fruit-driven side of Brunello will find much to admire. Anticipated maturity: points. Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar, July 2012: Good bright, medium red. Floral aromas of dark plum, currant and tobacco, with a suggestion of liqueur-like ripeness. Sweet on entry, then silky-smooth in the middle, with cherry, spice and menthol flavors lifted by a hint of flowers. A bit herbal and dry on the back end but finishes with decent length. Not bad, but conveys a slightly overripe/underripe impression. 88 points. Wine Spectator: A well-proportioned red, with perfumed aromas of flowers and sweet cherry that lead to flavors of cherry, licorice and spice. Elegant, yet dense and persistent, ending with sweet fruit, spice and mouth-coating tannins. Best from 2015 through ,500 cases made. 9/30/ points. -BS

3 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $44.99; less 15% sale discount = $38.25 Antonio Galloni Vinous, Feb 2015: Bright red cherries, plums, smoke, tobacco, flowers, cedar and spices are all beautifully delineated in the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino. Vibrant and lifted throughout, the 2010 captures the freshness of the vintage in spades. Already soft and accessible, the 2010 can be enjoyed now or cellared for a decade or so. Drink: points. Monica Larner erobertparker.com # 217 (Feb 2015): Caparzo's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a lush and voluptuous wine with soft cherry aromas at the front of spice, dark chocolate and toasted almond. The wine is more approachable in style with a drinking window that can offer pleasure to those too impatient to wait. The tannins are also more evolved and integrated for a more gentle approach. The finish is marked by an evident touch of vanilla from the oak. 92 points. Le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $63.99; less 15% sale discount = $54.40 Monica Larner, Wine Advocate Feb 2015: Savory and seductively spicy, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a beautifully expressive wine with loads of aromatic intensity that ranges from ethereal balsam herb to cured meat to dark berry fruit. Earthy tones and crushed minerals fill in the back, but the main part of the bouquet is dominated by rich fruit. The results are truly stunning with meaningful and long persistency on the palate. This Brunello is already at a good point in its evolution and is already very generous. You can probably start to enjoy it following three or four years of cellar aging. Drink: points. Galloni, Vinous, Feb 2015: A big, dramatic wine, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino hits the palate with an exotic mélange of lavender, dried flowers, mint, sage, black cherries and plums, all supported by firm tannins and beams of underlying acidity. Constantly changing in the glass, the 2010 is going to provide superb drinking for many years, but readers will need to give this big, broad-shouldered Brunello a little time in bottle to fully come together. Le Potazzine is one of the very few estates that will not bottle a 2010 Riserva; all the best fruit is here. 94 points. Drink Le Chiuse di Sotto-Gianni Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino 2010 Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2015: The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is surprisingly juicy and exuberant, with lovely overall resonance. Sweet red cherries, plums and stone fruits abound. Today, the flavors are remarkably primary, with fewer of the signature floral and spiced notes that are common. Although quite expressive and highly appealing today, the 2010 needs at least a few years in bottle to develop the full range of its aromatic nuance and complexity. A long, incredibly silky finish rounds things out beautifully. Brunelli's 2010 is all finesse. The 2010 is approximately 60% fruit from Podernovone and 40% from Le Chiuse di Sotto. Drinking window: points. Over the last few years, Le Chiuse di Sotto has really dialed up quality and must now be considered one of the leading estates in Montalcino, which is in a way bittersweet, as Gianni Brunelli passed away in 2008, before he could see firsthand the result of his early work. The estate is composed to two sets of vineyards; the first property, Le Chiuse di Sotto lies on the northern side of Montalcino, but in 2001, Brunelli bought a second property in Podernovone, in Castelnuovo dell'abate, that is now the main source of fruit in these wines, and is also the site of a new cellar that is under construction. The wines are aged in Slavonian oak ranging from 10-30HL in size. As always, the these Brunellos emphasize fruit and texture along with a classic sense of structure. Monica Larner erobertparker.com # 217 (Feb 2015): The beautiful 2010 Brunello di Montalcino delivers an impressive level of balance, elegance and intensity. All those qualities work harmoniously together to form the well-toned personality of this territory-driven wine. The wine walks with light footprints and nothing about it is too powerful or overdone. In fact, Gianni Brunelli Le Chiuse di Sotto has crafted the kind of wine that caresses the palate with impressive complexity, but that also makes a good companion to a large range of oven-rosted or grilled dishes. The mouthfeel is compact and extremely focused. 93+ Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $59.99: less 15% sale discount = $51.00 Antonio Galloni. Vinous, February 2015: The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino jumps from the glass with notable energy and precision. Grilled herbs, smoke, tobacco, rose petal and mint are all beautifully delineated in the glass. Distinctly savory and mineral notes add complexity to the expressive, stone-inflected fruit in a chiseled, pulsating Brunello endowed with considerable energy. The tannins need time to soften, but Argiano's 2010 is unquestionably a winner. Drink points. Monica Larner erobertparker.com # 217 (Feb 2015): Aged for 24 months in oak, the gorgeous 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a brooding, dark wine with great aromatic purity. The fruit tones are rich and penetrating, spanning from plum, prune and cassis to spice cake, tar and black licorice. The wine's concentration is luscious and opulent. The oak element imparts lasting aromas of spice, toast and caramel but the wine already shows a good degree of integration that should help it continue its bottle evolution. Hold this wine until Argiano is one of the landmark estates of the Sant'Angelo in Colle subzone in the southern part of the appellation. A double line of perfectly aligned cypress trees marks the road that leads to this iconic Tuscan property. Argiano has had its share of ups and downs in recent years and was purchased by foreign investors a few years back. The wine style has remained the same and Argiano continues to make some of the best Brunello on the market today. Drink: points. James Suckling- Aromas of warm stones, dark fruits and walnuts follow to a full body, soft tannins and a savory finish. This shows ripe fruit and salty undertones that give the red a wonderful juiciness. It dense and tight now but will give so much pleasure in the future. Best ever from here. Drink or hold. - Dec Points

4 Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2006 $79.99 less 15% sale discount = $68.00 Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate #194 (May 2011): The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a viscerally thrilling wine that takes hold of the palate and never lets up. Waves of dark fruit sit on a textured frame of incomparable class. The wine blossoms over time, with beautifully centered red fruit, tobacco, minerals and scorched earth, all of which flow in a rich, expansive style. The explosive finish is utterly beautiful. This is a superb effort from Sesta di Sopra. Anticipated maturity: Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2007 $79.99 less 15% sale discount = $68.00 Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate # 200 (Apr 2012): The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino is endowed with tremendous power and richness. Dark red fruit, flowers, mint, licorice and spices come to life in this deep, expressive Brunello. The wine turns more feminine and delicate on the finish, where hints of dried flowers and tobacco add the final layers of nuance. The 2007 is a hugely pleasing wine and a great follow-up effort to the Anticipated maturity: points. Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $71.99 less 15% sale discount = $61.20 Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2015: Sesta di Sopra's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is fabulous. Dark red cherry, plum, smoke, cedar and savory herbs open up in a pliant, deep wine loaded with personality. Sweet and layered through the mid-palate, the 2010 is already incredibly delicious. The style is rich, resonant and ample, very much in keeping with the personality of this site in Castelnuovo dell'abate. Drink: points. Monica Larner erobertparker.com #, #217 (Feb 2015): The excellent 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a true standout of the vintage. This is a deep, full-bodied expression with thick aromatic layers that give the bouquet a greater semblance of importance and intensity. Dark plum, blackberry, dried cherry, licorice, tar, black truffle, leather and cured meat all play supporting roles. The wine ages in large oak casks for three years for a slow oxidative evolution that has set the course for this wine's steady lonegevity. Smoke, ash and crushed stone make for elegant background tones. Drink it after Enrica Bandirola's Sesta di Sopra is a 44-hecatre estate located near Castelnuovo dell'abate on the southern side of the appellation. This property has proudly produced one of the most beautiful wines of the 2010 Brunello harvest. Drink: points. Canalicchio di Sopra Ripaccioli Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $101.99; less 20% = $81.60 Antonio Galloni. Vinous, February 2015: Dark red cherries, plums, spices, mint, licorice and hard candy jump from the glass in the estate's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino. Ripe, juicy and deeply expressive, the 2010 boasts stunning mid-palate density. Even with all of its immediacy and voluptuousness, the 2010 has enough structure to drink well for another 20+ years. The Canalicchio Brunellos always offer power, but the 2010 overlays tons of finesse to round things out. Drinking window: points. Monica Larner erobertparker.com # 217 (Feb 2015): Initially subdued, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino reveals itself very slowly thanks to budding aromas of rose, cherry, licorice, tar and menthol herb. The Canalicchio vineyard sites (Sopra and Sotto) show fantastic results in this classic vintage. This wine opts for a less aggressive interpretation of the vintage with soft fruit, polished tannins and mild intensity. It is Brunello at 70% horsepower. That slower approach gives you more time to appreciate the delicate tones of brimstone and balsam herb that carefully rise from the bouquet. It would be interesting to see where this wine goes five years from now. My guess it that it will grow in intensity. Drink: points. Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino 2007 $79.99; less 15% sale discount = $68.00 Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate (April 2012): The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino wraps across the palate with layers of sweet red cherries, flowers, licorice and spices. Soft and sensual, the 2007 impresses for its impeccable balance and long, suave finish. The 2007 kept improving over the time I followed it. This is a vintage built on silky elegance and expressive fleshiness in the fruit, but those elements need time to emerge fully. There is an inner resonance to the 2007 I find very appealing. Anticipated maturity: points. Despite all of his success, Giancarlo Pacenti is not the type of person to rest on his laurels. Today Pacenti is creating the final blend for his main Brunello far earlier than in the past, an important change Pacenti believes will allow his wine to age more harmoniously both in barrel and then in bottle. It will be interesting to see how this development plays out, as there are at least two approaches on creating blends. A second school of thought believes in aging component wines separately, which allows for more control over the final blend in the event some lots over/underachieve relative to initial expectations. I also noted better integration of oak than in previous vintages. Pacenti is more careful with the washing and seasoning of his new barrels than in the past, and the percentage of new oak for the top Brunelli is now around 60-80%. The Pacenti range consisted of just one Brunello for many years. Today there are three Brunelli: the entry-level Pelagrilli (from young vines of years of age near the winery), the single-vineyard PS (from an oldvine plot near the winery) and the straight Brunello (from 35+ year-old vines that brings together fruit from Pacenti s holdings in both the north and south of Montalcino). Wine Spectator: Medium-bodied and fresh, boasting cherry, tobacco, iron and tea flavors. This red starts out smooth, picking up tannins on the dry finish. Best from 2014 through ,500 cases made. 8/31/ points. -BS

5 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino 2008 $79.99; less 15% sale discount = $68.00 Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate Sept 2013: The 2008 Brunello di Montalcino is deep, textured and impeccably balanced. Dark cherries, plums, tobacco, crushed rocks and spices blossom in the glass. Here, too, the overall sense of harmony is utterly captivating. A gorgeous wine, the 2008 stands out for its exceptional polish. The style is a bit deeper, richer and more layered than the Pelagrilli, but at the same time remains deeply marked by the prevalence of fruit from the northern side of Montalcino. In 2008 Pacenti lost about a third of his production from the south, which means this is are vintage in which the Brunello incorporated more fruit from the north than the south, roughly a 60/40 split. This is a fabulous effort in a vintage that proved to be full of challenges. 95 points With these new releases, Giancarlo Pacenti shows why he is one of the very finest growers in Montalcino. Pacenti owns vineyards both in the north and south of Montalcino. In 2008, hail and rain reduced yields by about 30% in Pacenti s holdings in Piancornello, in the southern part of Montalcino, which tilts the composition of the estate s flagship Brunello in favor of fruit from the north, near the winery itself. Over the last few years, Pacenti has begun to introduce 500-liter barrels to augment the standard French oak barriques that remain the core of the estate s cooperage program. The use of the tonneau began with the top-of-the-line PS bottling, which is predominantly aged in 500-liter barrels. After having tasted many wines from barrel here over the years, it seems pretty clear Sangiovese that is so meticulously farmed to low yields responds best to the larger sized French oak barrels. For those who haven t tasted the Pacenti wines in a few years, you owe it to yourself to do so. Giancarlo Pacenti s wines have never been this refined or polished. Jan D'Agata Vinous July 2013: (14.5% alcohol): Good full ruby-red. Expressive scents of strawberry, mocha, truffle, minerals and dried flowers. Then sweet and refined on the palate, with a strong spicy character that's currently cut off by big, youthfully aggressive northern Montalcino tannins. This is still very closed today and will require patience, but its pure delivery of fruit and concentration bode well for the future. 91 points. Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchia Vigne 2010 $104.99; less 20% discount = $84.00 Antonio Galloni Vinous Feb. 2015: Pacenti's flagship 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is built on serious texture and resonance. Here, too, the flavors are dark and textured to the core. Dark red and back stone fruits, new leather and cedar gradually open up in the glass, but the 2010 needs time to fully come together, partly because the Vecchie Vigne sees a little more new oak than the Pelagrilli. Readers should note the Vecchie Vigne is the new name for what has long been Giancarlo Pacenti's flagship Brunello. The 2010 is a blend of equal parts fruit from the north and south of Montalcino. 93+ points. Giancarlo Pacenti is by far the leading exponent of the modern school of Brunello di Montalcino. No other producer has succeeded in crafting wines of this much textural beauty and refinement. Over the years, Pacenti, along with the help of Bordeaux consultant Eric Boissenot has moved towards earlier blending of his wines with the goal of aging a complete blend rather than components. There is little question, the young wines here have never been better balanced and harmonious from the outset. The 2010s spent two years in French oak in a cold cellar with high humidity. Recent experiments with large 500 liter barrels did not bring about improvements in quality, so the focus here is on aging the wines in standard French oak barriques, about 50% new for the Pelagrilli, 75-80% for the Vecchie Vigne and 100% for the PS. Incidentally, the Vecchie Vigne is the new name for the Brunello that has long been the Pacenti flagship before the newer Pelagrilli and PS bottlings were introduced. Pacenti describes 2010 as a vintage with no heat spikes and well timed rains at the end of the summer. September, always the most critical month, was marked by large diurnal swings from warm, dry days to cool nights, pretty much the perfect conditions to ripen Sangiovese. Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli 2010 $59.99; less 15% sale discount = $51.00 Antonio Galloni Vinous Feb. 2015:The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli is one of the more open, resonant wines readers will come across. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, spice and new leather blossom as this rich, textured Brunello shows off its considerable personality. The flavors are dark, bold and voluptuous throughout, but supported by persistent veins of salinity. This is a fabulous wine from Giancarlo Pacenti. Although the 2010 is labeled 'Pelagrilli' 20% of the fruit comes from Pacenti's holdings in the Piancornello district, in the south of Montalcino. Drink: points.