SOLD OUT! If you haven’t heard, the 2010 crop of Brunello di Montalcinos that are just now hitting the market are fantastic. Nearly perfect growing conditions (warm, sunny, and dry) resulted in classic wines with rich fruit, complex aromas and flavors, and serious cellaring potential.
The 2010 Mocali Brunello di Montalcino is the best value we’ve been able to get our hands on, and we were lucky to score five cases of it. Rated 94 points by Wine Spectator and a “Highly Recommened” pick, it’s our new Wine of the Week, and here’s the deal:
2010 Mocali Brunello di Montalcino
94 points Wine Spectator
SOLD OUT
If you know Brunello di Montalcino, you know it’s hard to find “decent” wines from this DOCG for less than $40. This is way better than decent! We’d call it magnificent and we feel that it could easily stand toe to toe with wines costing twice the price. The Mocali Estate was founded by the Ciacci family (distant relations to Ciacci Piccolomini) in the 1950’s, and their property is a thing of beauty. Vineyards, olive groves, and oak and pine forests intersect to create a natural Tuscan landscape that some might call heaven.
It is this beautiful landscape that produces this lovely wine, and only about 4,000 cases were produced in the 2010 vintage. 100% Sangiovese Grosso (aka Brunello), the clone of Sangiovese responsible for the heartiest and fullest bodied wines, this is beautifully balanced, powerful, and a classic rendition of one of Tuscany’s most famous wines.
On the nose, the wine shows a complex mix of ripe red fruits (raspberry, cherry, and strawberry come to mind) backed up by notes of mint, earthy spice, licorice and chocolate. Medium to full bodied and possessing perfectly ripened tannins, it is perfectly balanced on the palate with a nice mix of sweet fruit and just a slight tannin/acid edge . We love the way it’s drinking already, but Wine Spectator suggests that it will be at its best from 2019-2035.
Wine Spectator: “The mix of cherry, strawberry, eucalyptus and juniper flavors is focused, building to an excellent finish. This is wellstructured and lingers on the earth- and mineral-laden finish. Best from 2019 through 2035.”
With just 5 cases to offer (unsurprisingly, our distributor is now out of the wine), a 94 point score, and a great price, this one won’t last long.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville