2012 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli

Wine Advocate 95 Points: “Here’s a beautifully rich and succulent Brunello that drinks very nicely straight out of the gate. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli delivers a warm, inviting and velvety presentation. This bold wine is redolent of black cherry and dried blackberry with sweet almond, toasted spice and balsam herb on the long finish. What stands out most, however, is the wine’s rich texture that floods the mouth from front to back. That richness is fueled by the warmth of the vintage but also by the magnificent oak integration. This Riserva is aged in botti grandi for four long years. Bottle production is 45,000 strong.-ML”

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points: “Big, but polished, this full-bodied wine offers subtle, alluring aromas of baked plum, fragrant blue flower and pipe tobacco. The succulent, chewy palate brings juicy Morello cherry, raspberry jam and licorice tones framed in firm, velvety tannins. Drink 2020–2030.-Kerin O’Keefe”

James Suckling 97 Points: “Rather sweet due to the super ripe vintage. But there’s also great subtlety, enormous depth and a ton of tannin behind the opulence. The super long finish is incredibly focused. Try to wait until at least 2020. This stunning Brunello has decades of life ahead of it.”

Decanter 96 Points: “Only produced in the best vintages, Vigna Paganelli is a 12ha single vineyard planted in 1964. It represents the estate’s oldest vines, which serve as a source for clonal material for new plantings. The nose seduces with exotic spice, rosemary, pepper and tobacco. Though all the elements are deftly balanced, the palate is still somewhat austere, locked in a firm, tannic grip. Lingering leather and dark cherry notes promise more to come, and this demands ageing.”

Wine Spectator 95 Points: Rich and evocative of cherry, currant, mineral, spice and tobacco flavors, this tightly knit red is harmonious and solidly built. Remains vibrant and persists on the mineral-inflected aftertaste. Fine length. Best from 2023 through 2038.