TN: 1995 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli

  • 1995 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (12/16/2011)
    I opened this wine at 8 am smelled the cork and put it back in the bottle (smelled great) to slow O till dinner at 7:30 pm tonight. We had this with bistecca fiorentina using the Mario Batali recipe, grilled polenta with robiola cheese and grilled scallions. The wine is dark red showing some orangey tints. Smells principally of earth with some hints of cherry fruit. This wine tastes tight even after all the slow O’ing. Tannins are firm, acidity is bright. Tastes of earth and cherries with some barnyard and leather. This wine has power. This is my last bottle and I think I drank it too young. A few years ago, I popped and poured one of these and it was terrific. I probably caught it before it shut down. I think this wine has upside if it is aged further. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Every bottle of this single-vineyard wine that I’ve had has always been spectacular. Sounds like another winner – the dinner you had with it sounds great too.

Coincidentally, last night when I was checking out a wine store that I’d not been to before, I was momentarily excited by a marketing label above the brunellos – trumpeting a 90 rating for the 2004 Altesino/Montosoli. Of course, it wasn’t the Montosoli, but just the straight Altesino. Knowing full well that it was highly unlikely that the Montosoli ever appears in a bin anywhere around here, I asked the store manager if he had any. He immediately took the sign down and blamed the wine salesman for putting the incorrect label up. Yeah, riiiiight.

Just kept getting better with air. Love the finish on this wine. Too bad about your recent retail experience. I hate it when retailers are trying the ‘bait and switch’.

Byron