Transparent amber-tinged ruby, a nose going distinctly raisin with copious alcohol and ripe, black berry. I recall from previous tastings this wine being rather hi-alc–something which is not NEARLY as much of an asterisk in Italy as in California, but still… for straight Sangio, it’s a little plump and hot. Rather un-bright in bouquet, lots of dirty-baby-diaper funk and buggy vegetal polished down into a semblance of tertiary.

In the mouth, things look up. A zingy acidity graces the entry–chalky and acrid–and this theme continues throughout the wine. Despite voluptuous ripeness christening everything, there’s a lack of balance and shallowness of beauty to the whole thing. It’s just… I need more from a 10YO wine of stellar provenance. I want spice and leather and velvet and eye-rolling beauty and this has it if you squint real hard but I don’t want to. I want it easy. Maybe it needs anothe decade. It’s still green and vegetal and ridiculously tannic, but those things do not make age do nice things alone. We need fruit. And the fruit ont his thing is a burning spectre of ripe vagueness.

2012 LA FORTUNA Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Italy 15.0

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