2012 Le Ragnaie Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

Supernova Brunello Estate

This fabulously plush Brunello di Montalcino just earned 94 points from Wine Spectator who called it “silky and refined,” and “very seductive”. “Riccardo Campinoti is one of the most promising young producers in Montalcino,” raves Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and his Le Ragnaie winery is a “break-out star.” Vinous’s Antonio Galloni claims the supernova estate has achieved “what can only be described as a virtually unheard of level of success in less than a decade.” In the quiet, hilltop town of Montalcino, all the talk is of the wunderkind Campinoti and his vineyards, which sit at the highest elevation in the entire appellation. This 2012 is a collector’s dream, declared a “rockstar vintage” by James Suckling, producing what Vinous judged “more good to outstanding examples than in any past vintage.”  Wine Access snapped up 120 bottles, elsewhere up to $90, today through wine Access $54.99. Brunello, Burgundy, and New World Pinot Noir aficionados: Hit “Buy” now.

Le Ragnaie’s Brunellos are incredibly age-worthy, wonderfully extracted, weighty and dense while still perfectly light on their feet, at pinnacle of Brunello since the revolutionized estate’s vineyards and cellars, switching to cement tanks for vinification and using only large Slavonian casks for aging.

In 2012, the Olympian heights of Campinoti  vineyards — 1,968 feet above sea level — helped account for something up there with ambrosia. Chilly, brisk breezes and cool hilltop temperatures infused the Sangiovese berries with mouthwatering vibrancy during an exceptionally hot and dry growing season. Keeping yields severely low, Campinoti pushed the envelope on concentration, making for a rich, powerfully structured Brunello that belongs in every Tuscan collector’s cellar.