SommSelect Editorial Director David Lynch returns with an exceptionally well-priced Brunello di Montalcino from Mocali, a long-established property with a ‘traditionalist’ bent.
The growth of Montalcino as a wine zone is well documented, and may represent the ultimate Italian wine success story: Back in the 1960s, when Italy’s D.O.C. appellation system was being written into law, Montalcino was still a fairly remote outpost; in 1967, a producers’ association, known as the consorzio, was created by a group of 25 vintners, half of whom actually bottled their own wine. Fifty years later, there are well over 200 ‘member-bottlers’ of Montalcino wine, and overall production has increased exponentially. And while the vineyard acreage in Montalcino is now roughly equivalent to that of Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, the region is still dominated by forest. When I think of Sangiovese from Tuscany, and Montalcino in particular, I think of the woods—the earth, the smoke, the bark, the resin, the underbrush. I’ve always enjoyed the Brunello di Montalcino wines of Mocali because they so readily evoke those Tuscan woods full of cypress, beech, and holm oak (Montalcino’s name is thought to come from the Latin Mons Ilcinus, meaning “mountain of holm”). Another distinguishing feature of this 2012 Brunello from Mocali is its faithfulness to the Sangiovese grape’s classical proportions. In an era of very big, often over-extracted, wines, this is a Brunello with tension, energy, and aromatic lift. That’s what I want from Sangiovese, and if you’re inclined to agree, you really can’t beat this price; I’ll very happily drink it now and over the next 10 years, exulting in its authenticity and vibrancy the whole way.
Mocali is, like many Montalcino properties, smaller than you might think: it is 32 hectares in total, with just 10 of those devoted to vineyards (they also lease a few hectares of vines nearby). The property was first acquired in the 1950s by Dino Ciacci, who was one of those 25 founding members of the consorzio—and the grandfather of current-day proprietor Tiziano Ciacci, who lives on that same property in Tavernelle, one of the villages on the ‘south slope’ of the Montalcino hill. The Mocali vineyards are extremely close to those of legendary estates such as Soldera and Pieve di Santa Restituta (Gaja), with soils of marl and sandstone and vineyard altitudes of 300-350 meters.
And, as has become a bit of a theme in my write-ups, I’d characterize Mocali as yet another example of “south slope” Brunello that defies the conventional wisdom in the area; Montalcino itself is a fortified village perched atop an almost-conical outcropping, with vineyards spilling down all sides. Traditionally, Brunellos from north-facing vineyards were expected to be more aromatic, elegant expressions of Sangiovese and those from the south-facing sites more broad and muscular, but it doesn’t always work out that way on either side. As I said above, it’s perfume and proportion that draws me to this wine.
In the glass, Mocali’s 2012 is a bright garnet-red moving to slight hints of orange at the rim, with aromatics that really jump from the glass. Although it spent a total of three years aging in a mix of large and small oak barrels, the wood-derived notes are not dominant. After a few minutes opening up in the glass, the wine unleashes a mix of red and black cherry, red currant, a hint of blood orange, autumn leaves, wild flowers, dried herbs, cedar, and licorice. These sensations carry through to the palate, which is medium-plus in body and nicely framed by acidity. The tannins are relatively mild and yet the wine has great tension and focus—more evidence that it is acid, and less so tannin, that gives wine its ability to age. If you’re enjoying this wine now, decant it about an hour before serving in large Bordeaux stems. I like it as a short-term ager in the cellar, likely peaking around its 10th birthday. As for food, you can’t go wrong with a meaty ragù over tagliatelle or pappardelle to go with this wine. The attached recipe incorporates some Porcini mushrooms, too, to which I say: the more it tastes like the woods, the better. Cheers! —D.L.
