The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Fiore is a special single-vineyard expression that really delivers the goods. Only 3,900 bottles are made, whereas production numbers for the Brunello annata top 200,000. Both are priced the same. If you can get your hands on this wine, I recommend it. The bouquet is pure and tight with bright fruit aromas that still show some wiggle room for further complexity and evolution. Candied cherry, crème de cassis and fresh violets appear on first nose. More robust tones of pipe tar and tobacco give the wine a greater sense of importance. This wine exceeded my expectations.

Nose of ground hazelnut, prunes and cherry brandy. Soft palate with refined tannins, but with a fresh acid vein which gives length and balance. Dry and savoury finish. Elegant and understated for the vintage.

Dark red with a large amber rim. Forward aromas and flavors of spicy red fruit, camphor and black tea leaf. The musky finish is bright and juicy though I find ths to be at once strangely open and shut down. Currently, the classico Brunello from Barbi is much more precise and enjoyable, but maybe it’s just me not reading this wine right.