2012 Brunello di Montalcino Ripe al Convento Riserva
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Ripe al Convento di CastelGiocondo is laced with generous dark cherry, plum, cloves, menthol, chocolate, new leather and blackberry jam. Powerful and enveloping in the glass, with terrific persistence, the 2012 is a terrific example of the Frescobaldi style at its best. The wine is dense and plush to the core, and yet all of the elements fall into place effortlessly.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Ripe Al Convento is a plushly layered and exuberant red wine. Dark fruit pops from the bouquet with intensity and exciting immediacy. Blackberry and Morello cherry is followed by exotic spice, leather and sweet tobacco. The more evident oak use here gives the wine a contemporary and modern approach, with sweet tannins and a more succulent mouthfeel.
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Ripe Al Convento is a plushly layered and exuberant red wine. Dark fruit pops from the bouquet with intensity and exciting immediacy. Blackberry and Morello cherry is followed by exotic spice, leather and sweet tobacco. The more evident oak use here gives the wine a contemporary and modern approach, with sweet tannins and a more succulent mouthfeel.
This Riserva is sourced from a selection of parcels mainly on schist soils, from Castelgiocondo's vineyards in the southwest of Montalcino. It spends the first year in used French barriques to stabilise colour and allow some oxygenation, before spending the rest of the time in large Slavonian oak casks. The nose is quite dark and brooding, while the palate shows the vintage's heat with dried plum and warming alcohol. Mediterranean herbs, cedar, pine and dusty earth flavours bring complexity, and gripping tannins need to unwind.
About the producer
The Frescobaldi family has a long history stretching back a thousand years – a noble family integral to Florence’s development. They have made wine since the 1300s and today own estates across Tuscany, including Tenuta Luce in Brunello di Montalcino.