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2012 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino, 1.5ltr

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

November 5, 2023 - $81

Estimate

RATINGS

93Wine Enthusiast

Chopped herb, wild berry, spice and truffle aromas slowly take shape in the glass. The palate shows both concentration and elegance, offering fleshy raspberry, crushed cherry, licorice and crushed mint flavors, bolstered by firm but refined tannins.

92+ The Wine Advocate

Dark fruit with black currant and wild blueberry come into focus... Delicate notes of cola, licorice and blue flower add complexity. The tannic presence is reduced and the mouthfeel delivers silkiness and softness instead.

92Wine Spectator

The cherry, milk chocolate, olive, tobacco and earth flavors are backed by dense tannins. The long finish shows enough fruit and balance for the long term.

92Vinous / IWC

...bright and focused in the glass, with a gorgeous bouquet at the cusp of maturity showing rich brown spices, crushed cherries and dried citrus rinds...finishes a bit shorter than expected, leaving a subtle tinge of forgivable heat, along with nuances of licorice and hard red candies.

91James Suckling

Tangy and fresh with blueberries, black cherries and hints of cream aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish.

15.5Jancis Robinson

Round and easy-going and even a little too much so, but a little bit of Sangiovese’s signature tanginess turns up on the finish.

PRODUCER

La Gerla

La Gerla was established in 1976 by Sergio Rossi, an advertising executive who had been a director of top European agencies. Rossi bought the historic 30-acre estate from the Biondi Santi family, long-time makers of Brunello. Rossi re-named the estate La Gerla and started offering La Gerla Brunellos in 1978. Rossi died in 2011, but his wife Donatella Monforte continues to run the estate. Winemaker is Vittorio Fiore. About 75,000 bottles are produced annually. All the wines are made with estate Sangiovese grapes. The wines earn praise from reviewers and ratings in the mid-90s.

REGION

Italy, Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino is entirely Sangiovese. Montalcino itself is a picturesque, hill-top town not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.