2012 Biserno

Dark plum, chocolate, cloves, licorice and new leather give the 2012 much of its opulent, full-throttle personality. Ripeness is pushed to the edge in the Biserno, a wine built on serious extraction, with heavy oak influence to match. I would prefer to drink the 2012 sooner rather than later.

The 2012 Biserno is a seriously beautiful wine that is going to need time to fully open up. Mocha, plum, espresso and grilled herbs are some of the signatures, but the 2012 is a baby and not fully expressive at this early stage. Dark, opulent and large-scaled in conception, the Biserno has a lot to offer. Hints of dark red cherry, raspberry jam, spices and torrefaction blossom on an intense finish supported by suave, polished tannins. The Cabernet Franc is particularly expressive here.

Compared to the other wines in this vertical tasting, the 2012 Biserno plays its cards closer to the chest. This vintage is linear, tight and ultimately less expressive when you really get down to it. The bouquet is characterized by its sharp directness. It emits quick pulses of blackberry, spice, smoke, leather and grilled herb. All the essential elements are there, and the aromas do very much deliver what you should expect of this important Tuscan blend of noble Bordeaux grapes. Yet, the volume is played at lower decibels in 2012 compared to the veritable chorus of exceptional harmonies played loud in 2013 and my favorite 2015 edition. Aug 2018, www.robertparker.com