Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/977771
100 / the tasting panel / may 2018 SPEED TASTING WINE #1 BANFI 2012 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO, TUSCANY "If 2013 is 'cool and classic,' then you'd probably call the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino 'hot and bothered,'" quipped Banfi Vintner's Trade Development Director Lars Leicht as he unveiled this cru from the Castello Banfi estate. "We had some crazy weather and some heat waves that put the wines into dormancy in August, but then September got nice and things were able to rebalance." Sangiovese, which grows in Italy from Sicily to the Alps, boldly expresses the specific terroir it hails from, and Castello Banfi spent 30 years researching which Sangiovese clones would be best suited for the hills of Montalcino. "Sangiovese is also quintessentially Italian in that it doesn't like to be alone; it likes company," said Leicht. The team ultimately planted a polyclone vineyard and developed a cru from a series of joined vineyards surrounding Banfi's namesake castle. With medium acidity and body as well as Old World restraint, the wine "shows a power with elegance that Brunello is known for," said Leicht. "The Castello Banfi estate is a beacon for local hospitality, with daily winery tours, an enoteca and wine bar, a fine-dining restaurant, a glass museum, and balsamic cellars"—as if Montalcino's distinctive expression of Sangiovese wasn't enough. THE PANEL SAYS: Beautiful, dusty, underripe red fruit in the form of currants and cranberries. The palate backs up these aromas of the crunchy red fruits and adds roses, tar, and dried rosemary. Super high acid and tannin wine. —Mandi Nelson Brick rim variation, dried rose, aged Balsamic, dark cherry skin, and tomato leaf. Long finish driven by acidity and soft tannin." —Dave Lund WINE #2 ANCIENT PEAKS 2014 OYSTER RIDGE, PASO ROBLES Doug Fillipponi is the Co-Owner and Viticulturalist at Ancient Peaks. Lars Leicht is the Trade Development Manager for Banfi Vintners.