Happy Cellar Saturday! It's that magical first Saturday of the month when I raid the cellar and open a bottle that's been in development for at least a decade. I am a lover of Sangiovese, and since Brunellos usually hit their stride at the 10-year mark, why not spend a Cellar Saturday on one of these? So, I've opened a bottle of 2011 Tenuta Vitanza Beunello di Montalcino Riserva that I know has been in my cellar for at least five years, so let's see if it was worth the wait!
The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, with just the faintest hint of amber along the edges, just as you might expect from an adult Brunello. A gentle swirl releases aromas of anise, prune, cedar and spicebox that bring be back to the aromas I smelled when walking into a small grocer in Florence. Take a sip and you are greeted with a surprisingly vibrant bit of fruit, strawberry, red currant and raspberry that ease into earthy notes of tar and tobacco, with a hit of black pepper spice over the top. The tannins are still quite vibrant, providing for a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really pleasing example of a nice Brunello from a somewhat lackluster vintage. This wine would pair well with a broad range of Italian fare, from risotto to classic pasta, steak or veal. Tonight I am enjoying this with a poor man's version of bistecca Fiorentina, a porterhouse grilled Pittsburgh rare on a bed of grilled leeks with a baked potato and steamed asparagus with hollandaise. Cheers!
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