Benvenuto Brunello 2016 Tasting Notes

A Showcase of Contrasting Vintages

As the New Year unfolds, wine makers unveil the literal fruits of their labor. Such was the case with Benvenuto Brunello, an event organized by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino and set up to showcase the 2014 releases of Rosso di Montalcino, 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva and the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. What was most interesting was the dichotomy inherent in these presentations. The 2010 is considered to be the best vintage in decades and generally showed extreme aging potential, with collectors scrambling to fill their cellars with this prized vintage. The 2014 on the other hand, is considered quite a difficult year, wrought with challenging weather; a wet winter followed by hail in the summer. The fun was to see how the different producers approached mitigating the bad year while and exemplifying the good. 
One of my favorites, il Poggione, stands up to its reputation of consistency regardless of the difficulties cast by mother nature. The estate is one of biggest in Montalcino and employs modern technology to enhance traditional practices. A recent addition of solar panels on the estate harness green energy to limit the environmental impact. Diversified farming is practiced, ensuring the vines struggle for nutrients and the soil remains alive, adding to a vibrant microclimate. Green harvest methods are employed to ensure top level fruit is produced, and rigorous hand harvesting is done to guarantee that only the best, healthy grapes are selected for the vinification process. Ambient yeast for fermentation continues this commitment to territorial authenticity. 
This commitment to quality is displayed in that il Poggione only make their Brunello Riserva in 5 star vintages. Although 2011 was a good year, it did not get a 5 star rating by the Consorzio. This left the juice from the prized sites that would go in the Riserva to be used to augment the 2011 Brunello, while some of the best juice that would usually be reserved for the 2014 Brunello went into the 2014 Rosso. The result is noteworthy. While many other 2014 Rossos were thin, aromatic and easy, by contrast il Poggione’s Rosso was deep, powerful and dark — exemplifying the wines typical of the southern, warmer vineyards of Montalcino. The trend continued into the 2011 Brunello, with its dark chewy depth and power rivaling some of the 2010 Riservas from other producers. The less time in wood, however, allowed the fruit to sing and express its true time and place. The prized 2010 Riserva from il Poggione displayed the layers and complexity of a great year, only just beginning to show beneath the powerful tannins. It contained notes of crushed, fleshy dark cherries accompanied by warm spices, coffee and tobacco, flowing seamlessly together, waiting for time to bust them out. Those 10 years will be well worth waiting for.

As the largest estate in Montalcino, the opulence and power personifies il Poggione’s style of wine making. Located in the southern, area of Montalcino, il Poggione is also a true representation of the lower, warmer area from which it comes. By contrast, the other two wineries that stood out were some of the smaller estates present and are found in the northern, higher altitudes of Montalcino.

Located within walking distance of Montalcino, at around 500 meters, il Palazzone exemplifies the quality and attention to detail that only small wineries can attain. Rain water is recycled on the estate, as are materials. Recently they have altered their bottles, to make them lighter, lowering their carbon foot print; something they continue to monitor. Green harvesting is also employed to limit yield well below official requirements and harvest is done by hand with careful selection of fruit. Despite its size, il Palazzone benefits from three separate vineyard sites, with different exposures and altitudes. Every year these crus are blended together, an approach that allows the estate to accentuate the great years and mitigate the difficult ones. A hyper traditional approach is taken in the cellar; long maceration periods extracts power and depth and fermentation in large Slovenian oak barrels ensures micro-oxidation that provide aromatic and tannin stability. The result is depth and power balanced with beautiful elegance and an ethereal quality you can’t quite put your finger on that keeps you going back for more.

The benefit to this style is that the 2010, although having great aging potential, was actually enjoyable even now, despite the 40 month in oak. The 2010 Riserva was similar in that it balanced power with elegance, but with 53 month oak, it was darker and dustier and would benefit with the time. Most interestingly was the approach to their 2014 Rosso. With the estate being one of the smaller ones present, and 2014 being so problematic, il Palazzone blended 2014 with 2012 and 2009 remnants in order to augment the lighter more aromatic 2014. The result is positive, with the lighter ethereal notes and spiced aromas (especially smoked black cumin I found present in several 2014 Rossos at the tasting) but enhanced with more fruit and weight from the other vintages.

The last estate to stand out was Cerbaia. Also very small in scale, located very close to il Palazzone, on the higher slopes north of Montalcino, Cerbaia’s north facing vineyards coupled with 500 meter elevation allow a slower ripening, which brings out a clarity and focus that exemplifies a terroir driven wine. The 2010 Riserva expressed clear layers of red and dark cherry, fermented soy, dried pink flowers, wet underbrush, sandalwood, warm spices and licorice. Like a color wheel, the notes are distinct, yet shaded together as one. Through all these layers you can taste the arid soils of Montalcino. The wine carries an elegance and focus that makes it ready to drink now, but would also improve with age. It would be worth getting two bottles, one for now and one to drink in ten years.