A spiritual follow-up to the Tuscan big guns tasting we had in early 2024, ie. a year before this tasting.
Some great wines and a few not so great wines. Stylistically most wines were quite nice, but some wines just seemed to have gotten too old. For example just because of the not-so-promising Cellartracker notes, we expected Casanova di Neri’s Cerretalto to be past its peak - and so it was. It seems pretty obvious now that these huge, concentrated and extracted powerhouse Brunellos might’ve seemed very tightly-knit and ageworthy in their youth, but they really don’t age that well and many start to fall apart only after 10-15 years of aging.
Biondi-Santi’s Brunello, on the other hand, was as beautiful and classically styled Brunello as you can imagine, and still a mere baby, even at almost 20 years of age. Tasting these two wines side by side, the difference couldn’t have been greater. That Biondi-Santi was quite easily my WotN this time.
Quite unsurprisingly, the wines from Chianti Classico (Riecine, Caparsa, Montevertine) fared really well, but the 30-yo bottle of Boscarelli’s single-vineyard Vino Nobile was the biggest surprise for me and the runner-up candidate for the WotN!
- 2015 Riecine Riecine di Riecine Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (11.1.2025)
100% Sangiovese made with organically farmed fruit sourced from the oldest vines on the estate vineyards in Gaiole in Chianti. Fermented and macerated for 25-30 days in Nomblot concrete eggs, aged for 2-3 years in Nomblot concrete eggs and old (7-10 yo) tonneaux. Bottled in winter three years after the vintage. Annual production 2500 bottles. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Translucent and still quite youthful cherry-red color. The red-fruited nose feels sweet-toned with aromas of cherries and raspberry marmalade, some juicy strawberries, light lifted notes of sweet VA, a little bit of fragrant spices and a hint of loose tobacco. The wine feels lively, clean and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of pronounced sour cherries, some cranberries, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light sweeter notes of ethery VA, a hint of juicy strawberry and a touch of earthy spice. The wine is high in acidity with moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, crunchy and somewhat grippy with a dry aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, light ethery notes of VA, light savory nuances of meaty umami, a hint of earthy spice and a sweeter touch of ripe strawberry.
A very tasty, clean and attractive Sangiovese with beautiful sense of harmony and lovely vibrancy of fruit. Really a textbook Chianti Classico, even if the wine is not labeled as such. With the combination of pronounced sour cherry bitterness, vibrant red-toned fruit, rather prominent tannins and a subtle backdrop of volatile lift, the wine could easily pass off as a Nebbiolo - I know I thought this was Nebbiolo first! Seeing how well the wine is performing at almost 10 years of age, I don't see it falling apart anytime soon. Drink now or within the next 10 years or so. Priced more or less according to its quality at 40-45€.
(93 points) - 2001 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11.1.2025)
100% Sangiovese. Macerated for 32 days. Aged for a minimum of two years in French barriques and Slavonian botti casks. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Deep, somewhat evolved and quite opaque black cherry color with a tertiary maroon hue. The nose feels savory, meaty and a bit oxidative yet rather attractive with aromas of wizened black cherries, some dusty wood, light gamey notes, a little bit of old leather, a hint of dried dark berries and a touch of beef jerky. The wine feels dense, evolved and chewy on the palate with a full body and moderately tertiary flavors of sour cherries, some wizened dark fruits and dried lingonberries, a little bit of earth, light raisiny tones, a hint of old leather and a touch of tobacco. The overall feel is quite firm and muscular with the high acidity and still rather assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is long, tertiary and grippy with a rather tertiary aftertaste of tobacco and sour cherry bitterness, some sweet raisiny fruit, light notes of wizened dark berries and tart lingonberries, a little bit of old leather, a hint of earth and a touch of dusty old wood.
A stern and serious but also quite tertiary Brunello that feels a bit too old for its own good - I feel the wine might've been quite an impressive effort 5-10 years ago, but now it has started to slowly go downhill and fall apart. It's hard to assess whether we just had a dud bottle, or if the wine is really supposed to be this tertiary at this age - but seeing how Brunellos don't seem to be like wines that normally age that gracefully, I wouldn't be surprised if this was bottle was representative of the wine. Based on this one data point, I'd say it is high time to drink up.
(85 points) - 2015 Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva Doccio a Matteo - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (11.1.2025)
A blend of organically farmed Sangiovese (98%) and Colorino (2%) mostly from Doccio a Matteo vineyard. Fermented spontaneously. Aged for a year in 1000-liter oak vats. Bottled unfiltered. 13,5% alcohol, 5,2 g/l acidity and 32 mg/l free SO2.
Youthful, luminous and quite opaque black cherry color. The nose feels savory and dark-toned with aromas of fresh black cherries, some earthy tones, a little bit of developed meaty character, light juicy notes of dark berries, a lifted hint of sweet ethery VA and a touch of licorice root. The wine feels dry, airy and slightly evolved on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of wizened black cherries and sour cherry bitterness, some tobacco, light savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of dusty old wood and a touch of tart cranberry. The overall feel is very stern and tightly-knit, thanks to the high acidity and quite assertive and grippy tannins. The finish is dry and grippy with a long, intense aftertaste of tart cranberries and sour cherry bitterness, some tobacco, a little bit of stony minerality, light woody notes of old oak spice, a hint of earth and a touch of sweet volatile lift.
A wonderfully fresh, firm and dead-serious Chianti Classico - especially one from the rather solar 2015 vintage! The wine does show some evolved qualities, but the overall feel is still relatively youthful and wonderfully vibrant, showing great intensity of flavor and very little resolution of tannins. I guess the wine is in a great spot right now, especially if paired with a hearty dish that can tame some of those tannins, but I can see the wine still benefiting from another 5-10 years of additional aging. Pretty terrific stuff.
(93 points) - 2015 Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Susino - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (11.1.2025)
100% Sangiovese from the Susino vineyard. This cuvée is made only in exceptional vintages. 14% alcohol.
Slightly translucent pomegranate color with a somewhat evolved maroon hue. The nose feels fragrant and sunny with sweet-toned aromas of strawberries, some ripe cherries, light juicy notes of red plums, a little bit of sweet ethery VA, a hint of elderberry juice and a touch of dusty wood. The wine feels ripe, silky and open-knit with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite savory flavors of juicy red plums and sour cherry bitterness, some crunchy bilberries, a little bit of old leather, light licorice root tones, a hint of sweet black cherry and a touch of tobacco. While ripe and pretty sunny, the overall feel is less sweetly-fruited compared to the nose. Good sense of structure with the rather high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is sunny and open-knit yet quite savory and rather grippy with a long aftertaste of juicy black cherries, some old leather, light savory notes of developed meaty character, a little bit of licorice root, a hint of crunchy red plum and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A tasty, harmonious and enjoyably firm Vino Nobile that is in a good shape right now. However, as the wine shows relatively little of any evolved qualities, I can imagine it will continue to develop and improve with additional aging. A very harmonious effort for the warm 2015, although I have to admit that I find relatively little difference between this bottling and the 2015 vintage of the regular Boscarelli Vino Nobile I had tasted earlier. Both the wines are good, but seeing how nice the regular bottling is, I'm not sure if this wine is really worth the premium...
(92 points) - 2015 La Magia Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11.1.2025)
100% organically farmed Sangiovese from vineyards averaging 41 years in age. Fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks and large oak casks for 35 days. Aged in 500-liter French oak tonneaux (1/3 new, 2/3 once used) for 36 months, then blended into tanks and finally bottled in June 2019. 15% alcohol.
Quite dark and moderately opaque pomegranate red color with a slightly evolved maroon hue. The nose feels ripe and dark-fruited with rather sweet, fruit-forward aromas of black cherries and dark plums, some herbal minty tones, a little bit of juicy bilberries, light woody tones, a perfumed hint of elderflowers and a touch of sweet oak spice. The wine feels ripe, juicy and somewhat extracted on the palate with a moderately full body and sunny flavors of dark plums and bilberries, some sweet black cherry tones, light fragrant notes of elderflowers and minty herbs, a little bit of sweet balsamic VA, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The overall feel is pretty stern and tightly-knit with the moderately high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is ripe and fruit-driven yet quite savory and considerably grippy with a long aftertaste of juicy dark plums, some balsamic VA, light notes of tobacco, a little bit of ripe bilberry, a hint of elderberry juice and a woody touch of savory oak spice.
A big, ripe and muscular Brunello with a very powerful, fruit-driven overall-feel and a lot of chewy, somewhat extracted structure. Definitely not a lithe, delicate Sangiovese - this is a powerhouse that is firing on all cylinders. As the overall feel is still quite youthful, very fruit-forward and rather tightly-wound, I'd say the wine could still use some aging - perhaps another 5-10 years? I'm not very comfortable with cellaring Brunellos, as I know a lot of them tend to age faster and less gracefully than most people realize, but I feel this wine is still surprisingly young for one almost 10 years old and could use a bit more age. Never thought I'd like a Brunello from a warm vintage, but this is admittedly a pretty nice effort.
(92 points) - 2008 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (11.1.2025)
100% Sangiovese from a vineyard planted in 1968. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 25 days. Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques, and for another 12 months in large Slavonian oak casks. 13% alcohol.
Slightly translucent cherry-red color with a somewhat evolved maroon hue. The nose feels attractive and very classically styled with textbook Sangiovese aromas of ripe cherries and savory herbs, some wizened sour cherries, a little bit of old dusty leather, light licorice tones, a fragrant hint of violets, a touch of juicy dark forest fruits and a sweeter whiff of baking spices. The wine feels silky and quite ripe yet also very firm on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body with intense flavors of sour cherry bitterness and fresh Bing cherry, some licorice root, light gravelly mineral notes, a little bit of ferrous blood, hints of dusty wood and fragrant spices and a touch of tart cranberry. The overall feel is pretty stern and sinewy with the high acidity and moderately grippy yet not extracted medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, dry and quite grippy with a rather intense aftertaste of sour cherries, some gravelly minerality, light bloody notes of iron, a little bit of licorice root, a hint of tobacco and a touch of old leather.
A very serious, impressive and attractive Sangiovese that is pretty much as textbook Chianti Classico Riserva as they come - even if the wine is not labeled as such. Not the biggest and chewiest vintage of Le Pergole Torte - and all for the better. This is exactly what I want from a classic Tuscan red - well, apart from the price tag - and even if the wine is darn lovely right now, it is still pretty youthful and I see no problems in letting the wine age for another decade or two more. It will still get better from here. Lovely, just lovely.
(94 points) - 2006 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11.1.2025)
100% Sangiovese from Vigna La Casa. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks. Aged for a minimum of 2 years in oak barrels. 14% alcohol.
Luminous, somewhat translucent and pretty deep cherry-red color with a faint evolved dried-blood hue. The nose feels sweetish and slightly evolved with quite open yet not that intense aromas of kirsch and dark plummy dark fruit, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of ripe strawberry, light floral notes of elderflower syrup, a hint of old leather and a woody touch of savory old oak and a whiff of bitter almonds. The wine feels ripe, juicy and subtly sweet-toned with a full body and harmonious flavors of black cherries, some bilberries, a little bit of balsamic VA, light elderberry tones, a hint of kirsch and a touch of strawberries. The overall feel is pretty harmonious with the silky texture, rather high acidity and ample, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is rich, harmonious and quite grippy with a long aftertaste of sweet black cherries, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light juicy bilberry tones, a woody hint of savory oak spice and a touch of dark plummy fruit.
A rather ripe but still surprisingly serious and harmonious Brunello that doesn't come across as too hot, excessively ripe, soft or overdone - be it over-extraction, over-oaking or overripeness. Any woodier nuances sit firmly in the background and the spotlight is reserved for the vibrant, dark-toned Sangiovese notes typical of Montalcino. This is a quite big and muscular effort for a Tuscan red, but in a very well-proportioned way. A positive effort for a Brunello. I'd say the wine drinks really well right now and it will keep on aging - and hopefully evolving - for at least a handful of years more. Nice stuff, recommended.
(93 points) - 2006 Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Superiore - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore (11.1.2025)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (58%), Cabernet Franc (29%) and Merlot (13%) with a tiny addition of Petit Verdot. Fermented in stainless steel, macerated for 15-20 days. Aged for 18 months in new French oak barriques. 14,5% alcohol.
Deep, quite evolved and rather opaque blackish-red color with a tertiary mahogany-brown hue. The nose feels pungent, smoky and very evolved with rather tertiary aromas of beef jerky and tobacco, some old leather, light sweeter notes of ripe blackberries, a little bit of wizened blackcurrant, toasty hints of sweet oak spice and licorice and a touch of forest floor. The wine feels ripe, rich and somewhat sweetly-fruited on the palate with a full body and sunny flavors of juicy blackcurrants and dark plums, some sweeter notes of blackberry marmalade and raisiny fruit, light smoky tones, a little bit of cigar, an evolved hint of gamey meat and a touch of toasty oak spice. The structure relies more on the ample and still rather grippy tannins than on the surprisingly mellow and soft medium acidity. The finish is savory, long and grippy with a bold aftertaste of wizened dark fruits and ripe blackcurrants, some woody tones, a little bit of pruney fruit, light balsamic notes of VA, a hint of cigar and a touch of toasty mocha oak.
A big, modern and somewhat sweet-toned Tuscan red that feels quite polished, rather soft and a bit clumsy. Some older vintages of Guado al Tasso have been pretty impressive and at best even surprisingly Bordelais in style, but this was just a glossy, contemporary Tuscan red with a bit too much oak, not enough acidity and just overall rather generic "big wine" feel. This is not a bad wine, but this doesn't really give me anything a well-made 10-15€ everyday red wine wouldn't give. At this price point, this is a disappointment.
(88 points) - 2001 Antinori Tignanello - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (11.1.2025)
A blend of Sangiovese (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Aged for 12 months in new oak barriques. 13,5% alcohol.
Dense, more or less fully opaque black cherry color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels savory, dark-toned and somewhat extracted with dense aromas of black cherries, some licorice root, light toasty oak tones, a little bit of balsamic VA, a hint of old leather, a touch of wizened blackcurrants and a touch of pipe tobacco. The wine feels ripe, sunny and somewhat sweetly-fruited on the palate with a full body and quite intense flavors of wizened black cherries and ripe blackcurrants, some toasty oak tones, a little bit of licorice root, light earthy tones, a hint of leather and a touch of balsamic VA. The wine is high in acidity with ample and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dry, sunny and quite grippy with a long, powerful aftertaste of sweet dark plummy fruit and cassis, some black cherry tones, a little bit of licorice root, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of toasty character and a touch of old leather.
A relatively modern and a bit sweet-toned but still surprisingly serious and muscular effort. Despite its rather small weight in the blend, the Cabernet component still shows through quite a bit as a somewhat non-Italian streak of cassis character that doesn't fully harmonize with a more savory, black cherry-driven Sangiovese qualities. All in all, this feels like a hybrid between a more classic Chianti Classico and a more polished, modern-leaning Bordeaux red. Surprisingly enjoyable for such a big and extracted Tuscan red from the modernist end of the spectrum, mind you. While the wine is a bit too sweet-toned and oaky for my preference at the moment, the overall feel is quite impressive and I can imagine the wine will start showing its best after another 5-10 years of additional cellaring. Good stuff with some upside - definitely among the better Tignanellos from this side of the millennium.
(91 points) - 2001 Podere Brizio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11.1.2025)
100% Sangiovese. Aged in 540-liter French oak demi-muids for 4 years. 14,5% alcohol.
Very evolved and quite translucent brick-orange color with a dark cherry-red core and a more tertiary brownish-orange hue towards the rim. The nose feels evolved, oxidative and somewhat tired with rather flat aromas of soy sauce, some beef jerky, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light sweet notes of wizened black cherries and a hint of smoke. The wine feels ripe, concentrated and quite oxidative on the palate with a full body and bold, tired flavors of soy sauce and beef jerky, some pruney tones a little bit of smoke, light sweet notes of raisiny dark fruit, a hint of old leather and a touch of tobacco. The wine is pretty structured and tightly-knit with its high acidity and ample, rather grippy tannins. The finish is rich, powerful and grippy with a long and quite tired aftertaste of sweet raisiny fruit, some sour cherry bitterness, light oxidative notes of soy sauce and beef jerky, a little bit of old leather, a hint of smoke and a touch of prunes.
A big and impressively structured powerhouse of a Brunello that is just way past its peak. To be frank, this feels like an archetypal Brunello: the wine is big, bold and extracted, which immediately makes one think that it definitely need tons of age to unwind. However, after 20 or so years, you realize that the wine is still tough and tightly-knit, but the fruit profile is getting tired, flat and oxidative - even if the structure still remains pretty much unresolved. Of course it is possible that we just had a dud bottle, but this has happened way too often with aged Brunellos that I'm starting to feel this is systemic, not random. Even if the wines seem like they are ageworthy, in reality they are not. If you have any bottles, now is high time to drink up.
(84 points) - 2001 Tenimenti d'Alessandro Syrah Cortona Il Bosco - Italy, Tuscany, Cortona (11.1.2025)
100% Syrah from vineyards planted in 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997, macerated for 30 days with the skins, then aged for 12 months in small barriques. 14% alcohol. Annual production approximately 5000-6000 cases.
Dark and surprisingly youthful blackish ruby-red color that permits some light through. The nose feels savory and smoky with aromas of loose tobacco and dark forest fruits, some leathery funk, a little bit of ripe boysenberry, light evolved notes of wizened figs, a sunny hint of sweet blackberries and a toasty touch of oak spice. The wine feels ripe yet quite dry on the palate with a full body and somewhat developed flavors of sweet dark plums and raisiny dark fruit, some blackberry tones, a little bit of sweet toasty oak, light pruney nuances, a hint of boysenberry jam and a touch of peppery spice. The overall feel is juicy and the structure relies more on the firm and quite grippy tannins than on the rather soft and gentle medium acidity. The finish is rich, savory and moderately grippy with a quite evolved aftertaste of prunes and boysenberry jam, some sweet oak spice, light leathery notes, a little bit of tobacco, a hint of ripe blackberries and a touch of wizened figs.
A rather big, rich and modern Syrah that is at its peak or getting already past it a little bit. With its quite burly and voluminous overall feel and still somewhat oaky nuances, I doubt the wine is ever going to integrate all that oak or resolve those tannins - the fruit department is getting so tired that it is high time to drink up. Not a bad wine, just not in my wheelhouse.
(89 points) - 1995 Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vigna del Nocio - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (11.1.2025)
100% Sangiovese from the Vigna del Nocio cru, planted to Sangiovese in 1991. Fermented spontaneously in oak vats over a period of one week with maceration times extending for another week after the fermentation has ended. Pressed into old 500-to-1000-liter Allier and Slavonian oak casks, where the wines are aged for 18 to 24 months. After aging, the final cuvée is made from the best lots and bottled. 13,5% alcohol.
Dense, fully opaque and quite evolved blackish-maroon color. The nose feels very evolved yet not tired with sweetish aromas of wizened dark fruits and dried cherries, some old leather, light fragrant notes of dried flowers, a little bit of old leather, a hint of ripe figs and a touch of dusty old wood. The wine feels quite ripe, open-knit and harmonious on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and evolved yet not old flavors tart lingonberries and red plums, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light sweeter notes of wizened figs and dried cherries, a hint of tobacco and a touch of earth. The overall feel is still sinewy and impressively structured with the high acidity and pretty grippy tannins. The finish is long, crunchy and pretty tannic with a dry and developed aftertaste of sour cherry bitterness and tart cranberry, some pipe tobacco, a little bit of old leather, light iron notes of blood, sweeter hints of wizened dark berries and dried figs and a touch of old wood.
An attractive, harmonious and very tasty Vino Nobile at its peak or very close to it. The fruit department doesn't really call for any additional aging, but structurally the wine could easily take on quite a bit of further cellaring. Most likely the wine isn't going to be falling apart anytime soon, but perhaps another 10 years might be already pushing it? Terrific stuff all the same. A very fine and serious effort and an excellent example of aged single-vineyard Vino Nobile. Highly recommended.
(94 points) - 2004 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11.1.2025)
The flagship wine of Casanova di Neri. 100% Sangiovese mainly from a natural amphitheater. Fermented and macerated with the skins in tronconic vats for 27 days. Aged in 300-to-500-liter oak casks for 29 months. 14,6% alcohol, 5,98 g/l acidity and 33,5 g/l of dry extract.
Dense, fully opaque blackish-brown color. The nose feels old, tired and very tertiary with aromas of tobacco and beef jerky, some sweet pruney fruit, light notes of soy sauce, a little bit of dried figs, a funky hint of sun-baked barnyard and a touch of earthy spices. The wine feels dense, concentrated and chewy on the palate with a very full body and considerably old flavors of prunes and soy sauce, some beef jerky, a little bit of dried sour cherry, light earthy tones, a hint of old leather and a touch of cigar. Despite its quite voluptuous overall feel, the wine still retains a remarkable sense of structure with its high acidity and stern, assertive and considerably grippy tannins. The finish is long, powerful and very tannic with an intense, dry and fully tertiary aftertaste of prunes and raisiny dark fruit, some old leather, a little bit of salty soy sauce, light beef jerky tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a funky touch of horse stables.
An impressively concentrated and eminently humongous Brunello that seems to have not resolved its structure one bit over the past 20 years, yet the fruit has already given up and oxidation has crept in. Just as many other tasting notes in CT say, the wine seems to be already more or less past its peak and the wine is gliding downhill quite fast. It just feels like these massive, noticeably ripe and very extracted Brunellos feel like they need easily 20-30 years before they start to resolve and unwind, yet their impactful, super-ripe fruit profiles don't feel like they are up to the task, as so many of them start falling apart only after 10 or 15 years of aging. The wine isn't completely in shambles, but I'm sure this might've been peaking around 10 years ago. It has been high time to drink up for some years now. Leaving the wine unrated as it is quite obvious it isn't what it is supposed to be anymore. - 2005 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11.1.2025)
The fruit is sourced from vineyards averaging 10-25 years old. Fermented spontaneously in cement vats. Aged for 3 years in large Slavonian oak casks. 13,5% alcohol. Bottle #27657 of total 39537 bottles.
Moderately deep and slightly translucent black cherry color that permits a little bit of light through. The nose feels fragrant, attractive and remarkably youthful for the wine's age with aromas of black cherries and pipe tobacco, some sweeter notes of sunny dark fruits, a little bit of exotic spices, light nuances of arctic bramble, a hint of earth and a touch of savory herbs. The wine feels dry, sinewy and quite classically styled on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of sour cherries and tart cranberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of tobacco, light floral nuances, a hint of ripe red plum and a sweet volatile touch of balsamico. The overall feel is very firm, tightly-knit and structure-driven with the high acidity and ample, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, long and grippy with a nuanced and quite intense aftertaste of tart cranberries and lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of old leather, light gravelly mineral tones, sweeter hints of wizened black cherries and ripe red plums and a touch of earth.
A very impressive, sleek and classically styled Brunello that is as far removed from the huge, ripe and heavily extracted monster Brunellos as possible. This feels more like a Chianti Classico Riserva with a slightly darker fruit profile and a bit more ripeness, yet still remaining firmly in the spot where the wine feels fresh, savory and structure-driven - not too heavy, ripe or sweetly-fruited. For a wine almost 20 years old, the overall feel is still remarkably youthful and even if the wine is very impressive right now - it was my favorite wine of the evening - I'd still say the wine is on an upward trajectory and will continue on aging and improving for a good handful of years more. An outstanding Brunello, very highly recommended.
(95 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
