Cinqe Stelle? 2012 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO

A lot has been said about the 2012 vintage Brunello, but does the wine live up to the hype?

Full disclosure: I am not the world's biggest Brunello di Montalcino fan. I often find the younger wines unbalanced and overbearingly structured, and many BdMs with some age have lost their pleasant fruit and are just too austere for my palate.

But at a recent tasting sponsored by The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, I was introduced to a range of 2012s that absolutely sparked my interest. I'm sure the vintage isn't the only contributing factor to my change-of-heart, but it seems to be the foundation.

It certainly wasn't an easy growing season in Montalcino in 2012. With a dry start, snow and rain during important growth stages, and a HOT summer, yields were down. But the important weeks leading up to harvest were practically perfect.

BdM is a DOCG wine -- the highest-rated level of governmental standards of control. These are high-class wines, although their popularity has only risen to world-wide levels over the last 50 years or so.

3D map of Montalcino, from the Consorzio presentation.

The area of Montalcino is located in Tuscany, Italy, and is basically a square, rising to a slightly off-center peak like a pyramid. Soils differ in the main four quadrants of the region -- a combination of sand, clay, and limestone. We tasted wines from all parts of Montalcino, grown on all soil types, at various elevations. (As is required by DOCG regulations, all of these wines are 100% Sangiovese.)

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2012 Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG -- Medium ruby color. Fragrant cherry, floral, cola nose with ripe, perky fruit. Quite tart in the mouth, with tangy, mouthwatering acidity, and a cheeky, long finish, with present but integrated tannins. One of my faves, and perhaps the most "easy-drinking." ~$70.

2012 Collosorbo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG -- Medium ruby color. Big tangy cherry-berry nose, with sandalwood and florals. A bit stemmier, bramble-y, and a mineral tang like a rare steak sangue. Good acid, nice finish. ~$50.

2012 La Magia Brunello di Montalcino DOCG -- Medium-plus ruby color. Woodsy, sweet herbs, black cherry nose. This one's gutsier, quite tannic with good acidity, yet elegant and balanced. ~$45.

2012 Le Macioche Brunello di Montalcino DOCG -- Medium ruby color. Light floral perfume, merde-y nose. Super dry feel, leafy, dusty. Stylistically not my fave, but also well-balanced. ~$60.

2012 Loacker Corte Pavone Brunello di Montalcino DOCG -- Medium-plus dark ruby color. (The most opaque of the flight.) Ripe fruit, robust nose. Big and bold, black cherry and grape soda notes. High acidity, big but balanced tannins, a bruiser. (Higher altitude and maybe picked later?) But I like it! ~$75

2012 Pian Delle Querci Brunello di Montalcino DOCG -- Medium ruby color. Very herb-y, cherry, pine nose. Super structured, but classic Brunello -- elegant and playful in the mouth, with spices and tart cherry. Another fave. ~$40.

2012 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino DOCG -- Medium ruby color. Very astringent feel, leafy, eucalyptus/pine sharpness, with more sangue minerality. I have a slight suspicion my glass was off, but couldn't verify. ~$55.

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So what REALLY made the Minx reconsider her thoughts on Brunello? As Jeff Porter, Beverage Director for the Batali/Bastianich Hospitality Group and one of the leaders of the tasting, said, these are "very pretty" wines. They were elegant and approachable, and in every case I found the potentially troublesome acidity and tannins inherent in Sangiovese totally well-balanced. That structure makes these long-lived, and also incredible food wines, so I just might have to pop out and grab a few bottles, for now AND later!

Cheers.