TN: 2001 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino

Josh_Beck · June 1, 2009, 4:39am

2001 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (5/31/2009)
On opening this is dominated by toasty barrique influence. After a couple of hours it comes together a little more but remains a largely oak dominated wine. The nose in time reveals dusty, plummy red fruit that is neither overripe nor overdone. The palate has decent acidity and a definite plushness without being overextracted. Unfortunately, it also has a huge whack of drying oak tannin that carries into the finish. I think that in time the oak will recede a little and this wine has the poise and stuffing to age a good while, but I don’t think the oak will ever fully integrate and will always hold this wine back. This reminds me of the 2001 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova honestly – not overripe, not overextracted, and honestly pretty good underneath a big huge dollop of toasty oak.

Josh_Beck · June 2, 2009, 7:03am

FWIW, this drank better on night two with more varietal character showing and the oak not quite as fully dominating, still a well made wine not in my style, and while it will improve for several years, I don’t think it will ever wow me.