2012 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Loreto DOCG, Tuscany

The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Loreto sees fruit sourced from a vineyard site located on a sunny, east-facing slope just in front of the new winery. The well-draining limestone soils make for even ripening of fruit and contribute to the wine's rich suppleness. Dried cherry and blackberry segues to spice, cured leather, tar and cola. The wine is darkly concentrated and powerful. One thing I noticed is that Vigna Loreto gives the impression of offering less acidity and overall sharpness compared to the Brunello annata. For that reason, I prefer the base Brunello in 2012 by a tiny margin.