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95pt Olfactory Nightcap in Montalcino
Sometimes we whiff. When we do, we tell you about it. As we reported a couple years back, we made a terrible call in 2010, standing on the sidelines, waiting for prices to fall, as importers went on a Montalcino buying spree of historic proportion. But even if we stumbled at the bargaining table, it wasn't as if we hadn't done our homework on the 2006 vintage in Brunello.
We'd identified sixty-two 2006s that merited a slot on WineAccess. In that cooler, drawn out growing season, a bevy of new releases were richly wound up, tightly knit, and harboring the sort of red fruit purity that brings classicists (like us) to their knees.
In 2011, we returned to Tuscany with strictest marching orders. The press had already gone gaga over the soon-to-be-released 2007s, upping the ante on the 2006s. Price tags were dizzying, but that would be no object. Our wallets were fat. We left our poker chips in the glove compartment of that little red Fiat. We wouldn't be shut out again.
Still, we were anything but indiscriminate with our selections. While the 2007 vintage would prove to be one of the more extraordinary of our 25 years on the Tuscan wine trail, the growing season was an outlier. The vines got off to a fast start, flowering early in the spring. The summer would be largely warm and dry, a few propitious storms relieving the hydric stress. The harvest was early, a week or two ahead of 2006. The thick skin Sangiovese was marvelously sweet and ripe. Acids in the high ground remained vibrant.
On our scorecards, the modernists' efforts were the least attractive. While these black-ish Brunellos harbored massive opulence, many seemed to lack the balance, persistence and the sort of Burgundian complexity that's so distinct to Montalcino. But when it came to a small handful of the most storied traditionalists, each working just 10-15 hectares in the cooler quadrants of the appellation, these 2007s were otherworldly.
Particularly after The Wine Advocate report hit the web, prices would remain firm. Had we adopted the role of the riverboat gambler as we had the previous spring, bargaining with the likes of Fuligni and Costanti, we would have been politely shown the cellar door. Instead, we played it close to the vest, then spent hours luxuriating in these extraordinarily lush, brilliantly endowed 2007s -- so aromatically complex that we wanted to take the empty Riedel stems back to our hotel rooms for an olfactory nightcap -- squeezing out tiny allocations of two of the most stunning Brunellos of this monumental harvest. Here's a snapshot of each.
The 2007 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino is drawn from just a dozen breezy hectares set close to 1200 feet in elevation in the eastern hills of the appellation. Deep ruby to the edge with luscious aromas of ripe red fruits, plum, a bit of underbrush and sweet Tuscan herbs, the attack here is rich and miraculously generous. The finish, despite the heat of the vintage, remains perfectly vibrant and flashy. Parker's Wine Advocate came in at 95 points, mimicking our scorecard.
The 2007 Costanti Brunello di Montalcino would be our top Brunello of the vintage. Drawn from vines in the cooler, northern quadrant of the region, we've been collecting Costanti Brunelli since the early 1980s, but have never encountered a release with this much Grand Cru Burgundy flashiness. Dark ruby to the edge, splashed with wild raspberries and a bit of thyme, the attack is deep and juicy, packed with small red fruit compote. Broad and silken in texture with superb complexity, The Wine Advocate again dropped 95 points, suggesting that this one would hit its peak sometime in 2027. That's conservative.
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Tasting Notes
2007 Costanti Brunello di Montalcino
"The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino is a model of grace and elegance. This isn't a huge, powerful wine like the 2006, but rather a Brunello that impresses for its total finesse. Sweet floral notes lead to hints of tobacco, wild herbs and spices on the refined finish. Layers of fruit flesh out beautifully in a radiant, expressive wine that captures the essence of the vintage. Costanti gave the 2007 Brunello 36 months in oak, 18 months in medium-sized barrels followed by 18 months in cask. This is a fabulous showing from Andrea Costanti. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027."
95 points -- Antonio Galloni, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
2007 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino
"The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino is a gorgeous wine that brings together the richness of the vintage and the house's continuing move to a more traditional style. Sweet red berries, flowers, mint, spices and anise are woven together beautifully in this large-scaled, generous wine. The wine gains volume and depth in the glass as the flavors built to a huge crescendo. The 2007 was aged exclusively in cask. This is a great showing from Fuligni. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027."
95 points -- Antonio Galloni, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
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*Important Shipping Information
- Orders will begin shipping the week of November 26, 2012.
- You will be provided with the exact shipment date during checkout.
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