Vinous Event: 2010 Brunello di Montalcino

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.patinagroup.com/lincoln-ristorante">Lincoln Ristorante</a>

Are the 2010 Brunellos really all they are cracked up to be?
After months of seeing and hearing all the hype Vinous readers wanted to see (and
taste) for themselves. This recent dinner at Lincoln Ristorante gave attendees
an early look at a dozen of the vintage’s best known and most highly regarded
wines. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450297622277-Program.jpg">

Lincoln Ristorante, with its large glass windows and views
onto Lincoln Center, provided a dramatic setting, especially as late afternoon
melted into the evening. Executive Chef Jonathan Benno and his team
prepared a delicious, Tuscan inspired menu that worked perfectly with the
wines. The polenta agnolotti with boar ragu and the Fiorentina steak were among
the highlights.

A team of sommeliers headed by Wine Director Aaron Von Rock looked after the wines with extraordinary care. I am a stickler for the details, especially
with regards to temperature, but Lincoln’s team didn’t miss a beat. We opened
the wines starting around 4:30pm. From the moment I started tasting through the
bottles I knew this was going to be a great night, as all the wines were simply
‘on.' The wines were double decanted to
give them a little air. Young wines don’t usually throw a lot of sediment,
which was the case there, so we decanted mostly for aeration. The Poggione and
Biondi Santi were both given a little time in the decanters, as they were quite
stubborn at the outset, but the rest of the wines were simply poured back into
the original bottles. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450297650761-preppingiwnes.jpg">

Wine Director Aaron
Von Rock decants the wines

Organizing these wines in some sort of order that made sense
was initially challenging. Where do you start? After all, any of these wines
could easily be the highlight of most any evening. But in the end the&nbsp;flights came
together nicely. Having each wine in its own glass allowed guests to go back
and forth between flights with ease.ReceptionNV Jacquesson Cuvée No. 738

The evening starts with Jacquesson’s Cuvée No. 738, which is stellar. Bright, focused and finely cut,
the 738 impresses for its energy and overall vibrancy. In many ways, the 738
sets the tone for the night, as it is so full of life. This is a great showing
from a Champagne that consistently overdelivers relative to its peers.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450297664491-glasses.jpg"> 

Flight 1Verdure Arroste: Beets, Mixed Cauliflower, Romanesco, Artichokes, Sunchokes, Carrots, Young Fennel, Olive Oil2010 Costanti Brunello di Montalcino2010 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne2010 Stella di Campalto Brunello di Montalcino RiservaAndrea Costanti’s
2010 Brunello di Montalcino is
fabulous. The purity and translucence of Sangiovese comes through beautifully
as the wine opens up. Refined, pedigreed and exceptionally beautiful, the
Costanti pretty much embodies what 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is all about.
Reference-point Brunello. It’s as simple as that. Giancarlo Pacenti’s 2010
Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is another superb wine. The contours
are more modern and the fruit leans towards the darker end of spectrum, yet all
the elements are wonderfully in balance. Surprisingly open and expressive for a
young Brunello, the 2010 is sure to improve with a little more time in the
bottle. All of the Pacenti signatures are in place, though, and the house style
is unmistakable. Stella di Campalto’s
2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is
one of the many wines of the night. The aromatics alone are
striking, but it is the wine’s total balance and harmony that are so incredibly
inviting. It’s almost a shame to serve this wine so early in the tasting, but
even later, after all the other big guns have been served, Campalto's 2010 is still stunning.
Campalto’s decision to give her Brunello a year more in bottle prior to release has turned out to be wise choice, as the 2010 Riserva is far more harmonious than it has ever been in
the past. This is a rock-star Brunello. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450297929351-poggione.JPG"> Flight 2 Polenta Agnolotti with Boar Ragu, Porcini and Parmigiano Reggiano2010 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova2010 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino2010 Biondi Santi Brunello di MontalcinoThe 2010 Brunello di
Montalcino Tenuta Nuova from Casanova
di Neri opens with a gorgeous blast of dark fruit, mocha, spice and new
leather. The first impression is quite positive, but then the wine loses its
persistence on the mid-palate and finish. It’s as if the wine is hollow; there just
isn’t a whole lot of depth. The tannins also show a distinct element of
astringency and torrefaction, like coffee beans that have been over-roasted.
Time in the glass only brings out these qualities further. To be sure, these
shortcomings are in some ways quite subtle, but it is precisely the details
that separate the excellent from the truly great. Tasting some of the other
wines made in a similar style only highlights the areas where the Tenuta Nuova
is lacking. The 2010 isn’t a bad wine, but it could have been something more. 

Il Poggione’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is the
single best value in top-flight Brunello di Montalcino. If there was any doubt
about that, this tasting makes it clear that Il Poggione belongs right up there
along with the best of them. A towering, massively endowed wine, the Poggione
is simply marvelous. Biondi Santi’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is one of
the more controversial wines of the night. Some tasters admire the wine’s
classical austerity and potential, but for others the wine is too tight to
deliver real pleasure. There is little question the Biondi Santi needs time,
but it is in my view impressive on this night, even if it is not as sexy as
many other wines. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450297682548-Ciacciflight.jpg">

Flight 3 Bistecca Alla Fiorentina: T-Bone of Prime Beef, Green Market Tomatoes, Corn, Roasted Potato Torta, Arugula, Aceto Balsamico2010 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso2010 Salicutti Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione2010 Pian dell’Orino Brunello di Montalcino Vigneti del VersanteAll of the wines in the third flight are stellar. The 2010 Ciacci Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso
is everything a contemporary Brunello from the southern side of town is
supposed to be; warm, open, generous and easy to drink on release. A gorgeous,
textured wine, the Pianrosso only suffers because of some of the other wines on
the table. In any other context, it would surely be one of the very best wines
on the table. This is a gorgeous showing. The Pianrosso also forms an
instructive contrast to the Casanova di Neri. Both wines are made in a style
that emphasizes richness and texture, but the Ciacci has much more depth
through the middle and a considerably longer finish.

Salicutti’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione lifts
from the glass with the most exquisite aromatics imaginable. The 2010 has
really come together over the last six months. I suppose that should not be too
much of a surprise, as the 2010 was bottled later than normal, but I am still
deeply impressed with how nuanced and complete the Piaggione is today. Proprietor
Francesco Leanza has done a fabulous job elevating these wines over the last
few years. This is another Brunello that on any other night is the best wine on
the table. Tonight it is merely sublime and haunting in its beauty. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vigne del
Versante from Pian dell’Orino is
one of the most powerful wines of the night. Rich, dense and explosive, the
Vigne del Versante Amiata is a wine for the patient. Although most 2010
Brunellos have not begun to shut down, this is one wine that is a bit less
expressive than it was the last time I tasted it. Still, the potential here is
both significant and evident.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450297638858-Steak.jpg"> Bistecca Alla Fiorentina: T-Bone of Prime Beef, Green Market Tomatoes, Corn, Roasted Potato Torta, Arugula, Aceto Balsamico

Flight 4Piatto di Formaggi: Young Pecorino, Aged Pecorino, Apricot, Date &amp; Hazelnut Bread, Millefiori Honey, Fico d’India Conserva, Cerignola Olives2010 Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie2010 Salvioni Brunello di Montalcino2010 Cerbaiona Brunello di MontalcinoCrostata di Prugna: Red Heart Plums, Farro, Damson Gin Crema, Tarragon Gelato The tension in the room is palpable as the last flight is
poured. There are only a handful of wines that can create this almost rabid
level of anticipation. Top-flight Brunello is one of them. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450297736818-Cerbaionaflight.jpg">

Il Marroneto’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Madonne delle
Grazie is deep, dark and savory. An exotic melange of herbs, dried flowers
and minerals wrap around the intense, powerful fruit. There is a lot going on
in the glass as the wine continues to open up. If there is one word that comes
to mind, it is this: wild. What a wine! Salvioni’s
2010 Brunello di Montalcino is pure
textural richness and sophistication. Rich and powerful yet also incredibly
inviting, Salvioni’s Brunello makes
a strong case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. And it should. The
purity and luxuriousness of the fruit is spellbinding. On this night, the 2010
is an exotically beautiful, compelling Brunello of the highest level. In a
word: superb. 

The 2010 Cerbaiona
Brunello di Montalcino brings the evening to a rapturous&nbsp;finish. The most
anticipated wine of the night, the Cerbaiona shows why it belongs in the
pantheon of the most epic wines ever made in Montalcino. A Brunello with no
beginning and no end, the 2010 Cerbaiona just is. Every aroma, every shade of
nuance, every texture is just…perfect. The 2010 has been nothing less than&nbsp;thrilling every time I have tasted it, going back to the days when it was a young wine in&nbsp;cask. It is every bit as magnificent on this night.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450297759123-lineup.jpg">A few last drops are finished off, and the bottles
are gathered for the inevitable photos, which provides a great opportunity to
survey this stunning collection of Brunellos. The strength of the 2010 vintage in
Montalcino rests on the high average level of the wines.&nbsp;Tasting
through a dozen of the best and most highly regarded 2010 Brunellos in a gorgeous setting with fabulous food and company makes for a truly unforgettable night. 

<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/wines?wine_filter%5Barticle_id%5D=1274&amp;sort%5Bdirection%5D=asc&amp;sort%5Bname%5D=id">View all the wines in the order tasted</a><img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1450298249728-corks.jpg"> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/canalicchio-di-sopra-brunello-di-montalcino-1970-2008-mar-2015">Canalicchio di Sopra: Brunello di Montalcino 1970-2008</a>, Antonio Galloni, May 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/biondi-santi-the-epic-vintages-1955-1975-mar-2015">Biondi-Santi: The Epic Vintages 1955-1975</a>, Antonio Galloni, March 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/2010-brunello-di-montalcino-a-promise-fulfilled-feb-2015">2010 Brunello di Montalcino: A Promise Fulfilled</a>, Antonio Galloni, February 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/soldera-case-basse-brunello-di-montalcino-1981-2006-jan-2015">Soldera – Case Basse: Brunello di Montalcino 1981-2006</a>, Antonio Galloni, January 2015 -- Antonio Galloni

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