Brunello di Montalcino 'Vigna Schiena d'Asino', Mastrojanni, 2012
Brunello di Montalcino 'Vigna Schiena d'Asino', Mastrojanni, 2012
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Sangiovese
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2042
Mastrojanni's Schiena d'Asino vineyard sits at 350 metres on the cooler north-eastern slopes of Montalcino, where the altitude and exposure create wines of particular elegance and longevity.
The 2012 vintage is hitting its stride beautifully now, the primary fruit having mellowed into something more complex and savoury.
The Schiena d'Asino vineyard sits at 350 metres elevation on Montalcino's cooler north-eastern slopes, benefiting from excellent diurnal temperature variation. The soils are a mix of galestro (crumbly marl) and alberese (limestone-clay), which provide excellent drainage while retaining enough moisture for the vines during Tuscany's hot summers. This combination of altitude, exposure, and soil creates wines with both power and finesse, showing more elegance than the warmer southern-facing sites.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is among Italy's most prestigious appellations, requiring 100% Sangiovese and a minimum of five years ageing before release, including at least two years in oak. The regulations are strict: yields are limited to 8 tonnes per hectare, and the wines must show a minimum alcohol of 12.5%. This discipline results in wines with extraordinary longevity and complexity, quite different from the more immediate pleasures of Rosso di Montalcino from the same area.
The 2012 vintage in Tuscany arrived after a particularly challenging growing season that had producers reaching for their textbooks. Spring brought erratic weather patterns, followed by a summer that tested even the most experienced vignerons. The harvest itself proved tricky, demanding careful selection in the vineyard to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.
What emerged was a vintage of real character, though one that required producers to earn their stripes. The Sangiovese shows a more structured, serious personality than the immediately charming vintages that bookend it, with firm tannins that give the wines backbone and real aging potential. Super Tuscans from this year display remarkable concentration, whilst Chianti Classico producers who managed their yields carefully crafted wines with genuine depth. We find most 2012s are drinking beautifully now, having softened into their stride, though the best examples will continue rewarding patience until 2028.
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