2012 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 750 ml

Masterpiece 40th Anniversary Brunello Release

On a cold morning this past January, energized by some of New York’s finest espresso and fired up on yet another groundbreaking vintage from Tuscany, we couldn’t burst through the stately, pillared entrance of Midtown Manhattan’s Gotham Hall fast enough for the Consorzio Del Vino Brunello di Montalcino 2012 vintage trade tasting.

We took advance praise for the 2012 vintage by James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast with a degree of circumspection. The consorzio producers were showing their new releases on the heels of 2010 — perhaps the greatest vintage yet of the 21st century, if not the last 50 years. However, our healthy skepticism turned out to be unwarranted: the 2012 Brunellos were, collectively, nearly as stellar as the lineup we’d witnessed at Gotham Hall two years before, with legendary producers like Poggio Antico, Talenti, and Costanti almost cornering the market on excitement in the huge room.

Almost.

We noted with pride that in their auspicious 40th anniversary vintage, WineAccess favorite Altesino stood shoulder-to-shoulder with these prestigious Montalcino neighbors.  

Though located in a 14th century palazzo, Altesino is a young winegrowing estate by Tuscan standards. Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini’s centerpiece winery, which she acquired in 2002, maintains a deserved place in the upper echelon of Montalcino’s finest producers of Sangiovese grosso. Her winemaking team of Simone Giunti and Alessandro Ciacci are internationally respected for their modern and innovative take on one of Italy’s most beloved denominazione.

Across the board, complex, layered Brunello flavors and piercing acidity were what blew us away at the New York tasting, the ironic result of one of Tuscany’s warmest growing seasons in recent memory. The cold, wet 2012 winter was offset by a hot, often scorching, summer that led experienced growers to pick their fruit a week or so early in the fall to retain freshness and acidity in the grapes. The resulting wines possess nearly all of the power, finesse, and cellar potential of the great 2010s.

Altesino’s seductive 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is deep ruby to the rim, with bright, aromatic notes of cherries and raspberries tinged with Mediterranean herbs, cocoa, and a touch of vanilla oak spice. Plush and ripe on entry, packed with a mix of plums, blackberries, and ripe cherries, along with complex notes of grilled herbs and exotic spice, framed by silky, integrated tannins. A slightly dusty finish suggests that this 2012 Altesino, like the 2010, will be a red to watch evolve in the cellar over the next 15-20 years. Suggested decant for 30-45 minutes before serving.

For their outstanding work crafting a “suave, elegant” Brunello in 2012, Wine Spectator awarded Altesino a grand score of 96 points and “Highly Recommended.”

Brunello wines like Elisabetta Angelini’s are why we brave a freezing Midtown morning while the rest of New York stays cozily indoors to begin their workday. 96 well-earned Wine Spectator points. $68 on release. $52 per bottle today, with shipping included on 4. They’ll all rest comfortably in your cellar.