BOTTEGA | Il Vino dei Poeti | Brunello di Montalcino | 2012
sangiovese
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Tonight we are going to review a quite legendary wine with a poem of a name – Il Vino dei Poeti Brunello di Montalcino 2012 from Bottega. Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most prestigious wines, well-known all over the world, which is regarded as one of the most longevive wines. This one is a single varietal sangiovese wine, but it’s the sangiovese that most wine critics cite to be the best in all of Italy. Whether or not it is the best is entirely up to you, but it’s one of those must try wines, at least once in your life. The fruit is a highlight to the enduring popularity of Brunello di Montalcino, yet it’s the tannins and acidity that extend the life of this wine so it reaches perfection a decade or more later – it’s worth the wait, but enough theory, let’s get straight to the tasting.
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Take a look at the tasting notes bellow and our detailed assessment of the wine:
Visual
Clear ruby color, not too deep, with transparent copper hues towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with ripe red fruits: overripe sour cherry, red currant, ripe red cherry, red plum, wolfberry, red delicious apple, red pepper, nutmeg and candied sour cherry juice. An instant later the nose is filled with notes of tobacco, cinnamon, leather and some nuanced hints of dried cranberry.
Gustatory
The wine is dry, with moderate alcohol level, high acidity and rough tannin. It feels fruity, complex and tannic, with a nuanced bitter-tart accent, in fact this is a pure fruity-tannic bomb. This is a full-bodied, well structured and quite elegant wine, as it tastes supple, firm and seedy. The wine has a good overall balance between fruit and barique – a very noble and velvety new-world wine style.
Aftertaste
It has a long finish and a velvety, bitter-tart aftertaste.
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This is definitely a great Wine of Italy and the overall rating says the same, with 92.9 points scored it is right there, among the best wines we’ve tasted so far. Please click on the chart icon on the left in order to get to the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines we’ve tasted to date.
Conclusion: this is a wine that has just reached the summit of its prime form – firm, noble and bold, with a nuanced fruity but tannic accent, that fusion into a mesmerizing, spicy-elegant final. It does not feel the need for any more ageing, as it already developed into a genuine and complex wine, that offers an explosion of fruit and tannin, yet, it will easily stand another 3 to 5 years of bottle ageing. More than that, the previous vintage of this wine (Il Vino dei Poeti Brunello di Montalcino 2010) was has been ranked as ‘outstanding’ by famous british wine magazine Decanter, which is a rare and prestigious accolade to be honest. For the best experience, pair this wine with rosemary crusted lamb chops or some veal chops with rosemary and thyme, as those gamey notes in the dish will complement well the fruity-tannic accents in the wine. Saluti!
WineStatistics tasting results:
BOTTEGA
Il Vino dei Poeti | Brunello di Montalcino | 2012
grape: | sangiovese |
overall rating: | 92.9 |
conclusion: excellent | (a must try)
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(c) The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. There are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
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