Antinori Pian delle Vigne Vignaferrovia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2012 Vignaferrovia shows an intense ruby red color. The nose offers, initially, notes of wild cherries, ripe black fruit, and red currants then balanced by supplementary balsamic and spicy sensations. The palate is rich and full and character by well integrated velvety tannins. The long and persistent finish is marked by hints of spices, fruit under spirits, and chocolate and given a further complexity and vigor by a light and delicate vein of acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This is round, offering cherry, plum and savory, salty mineral elements. The structure is well-meshed, lending support while remaining harmonious. Almost feels approachable now, but this will be better in two to three years. Best from 2021 through 2035.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of forest floor, truffle, leather and mature black-skinned fruit align with a hint of exotic spice. On the warm, forward palate, fine-grained tannins support flavors of raspberry jam, brandied black cherry, licorice and pipe tobacco. Drink 2019–2027.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I can just smell all the thought and hard work that evidently went into making the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pian delle Vigne Vignaferrovia. This wine is the fruit of important discussions, contemplation and decision-making. I say that because I know how challenging the 2012 vintage was for people who farm Sangiovese. That effort has paid off handsomely because this is a complete and layered wine that makes a careful presentation of bold primary fruit that segues to secondary aromas of spice and tobacco. Generally speaking, I like the 2013 vintage far better than 2012, but this wine has pulled itself forward to earn a high score, thanks to its sheer willpower and determination.
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James Suckling
A wine with lots of dried fruit and walnuts. Cherries, too. Full body, dense and round tannins with deep ripe fruit. Extremely flavorful and decadent. Has California sensibility to it. Fruit-forward.
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Decanter
This comes from a 4.5ha plot next to a 19th century railroad station located on the estate’s grounds. The calcareous clay soil is rich in small stones, and the vines are planted with a southeastern exposure. Cherry compote, liquorice, leather and dried spice are already expressive. Full, concentrated and chewy, it will satisfy those looking for a rich, voluminous, upfront Brunello. A match for hearty braised meats. Drinking Window 2019 - 2029
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The Antinori family has been committed to the art of winemaking for over six centuries since 1385 when Giovanni di Piero Antinori became a member of the "Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri," the Florentine Winemaker’s Guild. All throughout its history, twenty-six generations long, the Antinori family has managed the business directly making innovative and sometimes bold decisions while upholding the utmost respect for traditions and the environment.
Today, Albiera Antinori is the president of Marchesi Antinori with the continuous close support of her two sisters, Allegra and Alessia, all actively involved in first person in the business. Their father, Marchese Piero Antinori, is the current Honorary President of the company. Tradition, passion, and intuition are the three driving forces that led Marchesi Antinori to establish itself as one of the most important winemakers of elite Italian wine. The company is one of the Founding Members of the "Associazione Marchi Storici d’Italia," an association for the protection, support and promotion of Italian historical brands.
The family’s historical heritage lies in their estates in Tuscany and Umbria, however over the years they have invested in many other areas, both in Italy and abroad, well known for producing high quality wine, opening new opportunities to appreciate and develop unique new terroirs with great winemaking potential. Each vintage, each plot of land, each new idea to be advanced is a new beginning, a new pursuit for achieving higher quality standards. As Marchese Piero loves to say "Ancient family roots play an important part in our philosophy but they have never hindered our innovative spirit."
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.