Brunello de Montalcino is one of our favourite wines, and certainly our favourite from Italy.
While we don’t need an excuse to drink a glass of our favourite BDM, we can’t help but pounce on the opportunity when an excellent wine such as the Zodiac Boar pops up.
The Blood of Jupiter
While Sangiovese is Italy’s most prolific red wine grape, and is used in the making of wines such as Chianti, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, and even sweet wines such as Vin Santo, Brunello is widely held in the highest regard amongst its kin.
Brunello di Montalcino is a peculiar wine in many ways. Half of its name is owed to the town of Montalcino in Tuscany. The other refers to a very particular varietal of the Sangiovese grape, named for the Italian word for brown – “bruno”. Both make it unique.
It, and its sibling Rosso di Montalcino, are the only two wines that are made only from Sangiovese. Even Chianti Classico allows 20% of other grape varietals to be used. One can make a pretty convincing case that Brunello is the purest expression of Sangiovese there is.
All well and good, but what’s so special about it?
The classic Brunellos have high acidity and bold, supple tannins. These two qualities enable their flavours to develop in the bottle over decades, for harshness to be worn smooth by the sands of time, and a certain depth and delicacy to emerge. It is not uncommon to find that a Brunello that reaches its prime after twenty years of cellaring.
The flavour profile, too, is something that evolves over time. In its youth, it is pregnant with red-berry flavours; sour cherries, cranberries, raspberries and even a light dash of strawberries. Citrus, too, can often be tasted in young Brunellos.
Over time, however, one also finds that the fruits darken; figs, dark cherries, leather and chocolate flavours emerge. Brunellos are rarely as heavy and rich as a heavy-Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux blend, or even the other “Bs”, Barolo and Barbaresco. We find that this gives it a certain elegance; heft without excessive weight. Solid, but not flabby.
On the whole, it’s elegant, supple, and only gets better with time. In other words, some of the best qualities you can find in a red wine.
Castiglion del Bosco
Tuscany, and the hills around the town of Montalcino in particular, is one of the most storied wine-growing regions of Italy. The soil is unique and anything but uniform even throughout the region, making the terroir of great importance.
Castiglion del Bosco is one of the largest estates in Montalcino, located in the northwest of the region. Currently owned by members of the Ferragamo family (of luxury shoe fame), it produces about a quarter million bottles of organic Brunellos each year of various ranges.
We got to try the “regular” Castiglion Del Bosco Brunello Di Montalcino 2013.
Nose: Floral, dark cherries, a light dash of sour cherries, and a whiff of oak.
Palate: Fairly mild in flavour, but with a generous acidity. Fresh flavours of cherries, citrus and blackberries.
Finish: Pleasant and with a medium length. Crisp, and tart with blackcurrants and a healthy dose of tannins.
The regular Brunello is fairly light and could do with a few years of aging. It’s a good starting point, but one gets the sense that the best is being saved for later.
Pigs can Fly
Each year, other than the regular Brunello, a higher quality range named Campo del Drago, and- in a nod to the Chinese market- a reserve range themed after a Zodiac animal, starting with the Horse in 2013. The range has been lauded so far- the Zodiac Rooster took home 99 points, and the Monkey 98.
Naturally, being the Year of the Pig, the newest range in the Zodiac series is the Zodiac Boar Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012. With the latest edition already receiving a rating of 98 points by wine critic James Suckling, we were eager to try it.
Zodiac Boar Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012
Nose: A bouquet redolent with dark cherries, faint sour cherries, and dark plums. There’s a bit of leather that transitions into woody spice, and the faintest hint of vanilla, cream, and interestingly- earth.
Palate: Velvety texture, and rich flavours of dark fruits- we get plums and blackberries. Morello cherries and dark cherries add a nice tartness that balances the heavy flavours.
Finish: Long, lingering – berries and a healthy amount of wood spice.
We’re not disappointed. This is a great Brunello- fruitiness and acidity melded with structure and body. Great to drink now, great to drink in ten years- so it’s hard to go wrong.
Summing it all up
Well, well. Turns out that the hype was real after all. An excellent wine- but one that comes dear. Only 688 magnums and 15 bottles of 5 liter of the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012 Zodiac Boar will be released. The retail price is S$1,750 for a magnum and S$10,800 for 5 liter bottle.
It might take off some of the sting, however, to learn that 10% of the proceeds of each bottle will be donated to a charity in Asia.
If you’re interested in acquiring a bottle,you can mail cdbzodiac@castigliondelbosco.com to place an order.
