2011 Brunello di Montalcino

Stunning nose, which has wonderful vibrancy, slight leafiness and gorgeous red fruit with liquorice. The sweetness of fruit is quite extraordinary, behind this there are sinewy tannins that are so balanced with the vibrant zesty mineral core. This has such a lightness of touch – with the subtle leafy character that grows and grows with the wine. (AC)

100% Sangiovese. The first part of the vineyard cycle was unusually wet and cool, the second half was very hot and dry. Harvested 3 October. Two selection phases, in vineyard and in winery. Grapes were put through a vertical vibrating destemmer-sorter and only unbroken healthy grapes were allowed through. Spontaneous fermentation was carried out in truncated, cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats, without using commercial yeast-starter cultures and without temperature control. Racked after 20 days. Malolactic fermentation was spontaneous and completed within three weeks. Aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 62 months. Bottled without filtering or fining. Total production of 2011 is just 4,215 bottles. At bottling, the wine contained sulphites amounting to 48 mg/l of total SO2 (of which 16 mg/l as free SO2), value much lower than the allowed maximum legal limit of 150 mg/. RS 0 g/l. Very rich and pure and expressive. Very mineral. Not remotely rich and heavy but very long. Extremely pure and refined. Healthy. Sinewy and wonderfully precise. Ping, ping, ping, goes the wine. Bright red-fruit flavours. Very perfumed. Something inky in texture. (JR)