Tasting Notes 127 found

I’m thinking time to drink up any bottles I still have. (151 views)

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Not as good as previous bottle. Final glass showed improvement but that was only an hour or so after opening. Should have reviewed my previous TN! (288 views)

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Better on night two, so maybe not peaked? (754 views)

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Confirming my last note about this wine.

Ina perfect drinking window. Acidity+, a touch of funky nose that is typical in Il Poggione.

A very pleasant experience. (838 views)

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Decanted one hour. Drank over two hours. Held up well. This wine has more time. (915 views)

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An exceptional experience - soft, lush and flavorful but still carrying sufficient acidity and tannins to be recognizable. Dark fruit, leather and balsamic on the nose. In the mouth, soft and caressing flavors - again dark fruit. Black cherry and aged balsa wood. Soft menthol, a touch of black licorice. Tannins are lovely and the finish is long and altogether gorgeous. Shared with friends and we all enjoyed. Some sediment. I see some notes suggesting this wine is past its prime. My bottle was at the height of its powers and is likely to hold another five years. The rest of my bottles won’t see 2030. (1197 views)

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Unfortunately, it has gone past its prime. (1091 views)

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Still in great shape. Colour dark with only a little edge of transparency and bricking alluding to age. Dark cherry and darker black fruit with a slight burnt tar savoury (tobacco, leather) complexity. Great depth and balance. Nicely balanced between power and elegance. Very stylish. (1154 views)

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Sour cherry, with some earth, oak and spice. A bit tired and muddy, but still enjoyable. (1404 views)

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Perfect cork, deep ruby, young color. Lots of drying tannins with 2 hour decant. Balanced, firm and elegant. Medium bodied. Perfect with southern Italian cooking. (1293 views)

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This was extremely oxidized and while not undrinkable, it wasn't very good. I dumped out most of the bottle. .not sure if this was just a bad bottle or if this has slid past its drinking window. My last bottle was quite good so I'm thinking this was a bad bottle. My last so I will never really know. (1295 views)

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Outstanding brunello! Cherry, spice, minerals, smooth as silk with a great mouthfeel and long finish. Pop and poured and it was singing from the get go. This is definitely in prime time and I'm glad I have one more to drink in another few years! (1636 views)

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Wonderful bottle. Needs to breathe - Closed on opening. Much better at 30 minutes. Was singing at 90 minutes. Finished it at 2 1/2 hours and it had more to offer at that point. Happy I have more bottles of this gem. Tannins make their presence known but have settled down and really complete this wine. Wonderful balance with just the right amount of acidity. Color was deep garnet. Enjoy the dark cherry, leather, and earthy notes. Finish pushes towards 45 seconds. Cork in great shape. Wow. (1565 views)

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Damn...this is good! Red raspberry, cranberry, and red cherry fruit up front. Beautiful core of leather, red licorice, spice, and tobacco. Still has some snappy acidity to it with nice tannins and long finish. So good right now but will easily go many more years. (1627 views)

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Dark crystalline ruby color. Opened for an hour. Better after another hour in glass. Recommend short decant or enjoy the change with PnP while smooth tannins emerge. (1555 views)

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In a great spot right now. Pure fruit and fine aromatics. Thru line of stone at its core. Lovely. (1852 views)

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I started to write a note and then read comment by SARASTRO and it is far more eloquent and poetic than my thoughts. No decant but taken out of cellar a few hours earlier to warm up. Why we buy nice Brunello and let it rest until it is ready. Just sublime.

LIKES THIS WINE: (1526 views)

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In a splendid moment of its evolution. For it is "just right" and will drink also my last bottle at most in one or two years.

Opened two hours before consumption, opened the shoulder, and let it stay at cellar temperature. After a second check I decided to decant 15 minutes pre dinner.

Intense ruby with no visual sign of aging

The nose opens with beautiful bouquet of mature red and dark berries with raspberry, cranberry and blue raspberry sticking out.
The evolution in the glass shows hints of leather, liquorice, menthol and other balsamic notes. Not dominating, just well integrated.

In the mouth tannins are well integrated, obviously present and starting a nice conversation with the soft mouthful and the vivid acidity which elevates the drinking while cleaning the mouth.

Long aftertaste.

Love it much more than the nice 2014 BdM non riserva (1513 views)

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X-mas dinner. In its window. Well worth the wait. (1766 views)

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Tasted over two nights. Peaked but not declining. Large but just shy of unwieldy. 14.5% (1708 views)

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Great nose and red fruit but finish is in a weird stage, tannins are huge. hold (1623 views)

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Loved this! Color rustic brown. Nose of fig, sour cherry, chocolate. On the palate I experienced the same cherry notes, with coffee. Finish was shorter than I expected but pleasant. My first time drinking a wine aged 10+ years (2179 views)

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Red fruits, silky, acid a little cloying on the finish. (2219 views)

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This is very good. Deep fruit flavors enrobed in a delicate lace of oak. Silky and lush without excess. Good stuff. (2332 views)

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This pours medium garnet in the glass with moderate bricking. The nose leans toward tertiary with old leather, dried rosemary, beef broth, dried dark cherry, and dry hay. The palate shows its tuscan origins with medium plus tannin, medium plus acid, and elevated alcohol. This is further down the development path and I had hoped. (2946 views)

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Beautiful, at it's peak. For me , what a Brunello should be. On the hunt for more. (2511 views)

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Camphor, violets, and prune on the nose. On the palate, raspberry, blackberry, currant, and notes of cola, strawberry, and bitter tobacco, with light to moderate tannins and strong acidity on the long finish. This is outstanding, and it's somewhere near its peak; it improved modestly with a few hours of air. It was a good value at about $70. It threw some sediment, so consider decanting. (2529 views)

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Deep garnet color. Restrained to start, but opening up after 2 hour decant. Soft cherry and red licorice. A very nice, subtle BdM. (2453 views)

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NYE dinner. Decanted (for sediment) ~ 45 minutes before dinner. Dark black/red color. Nose initially tight but this got better with air - Tar, prune, tobacco, dark cherry and sage/rosemary on nose. On palate, much fresher than nose- black cherry, sour cherry/sweet cherry (with air) leather and mushrooms. Beautiful wine and noticeably better than a 2010 Seavey Cabernet drank alongside. 94+/- (2193 views)

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Drank from a magnum. Very good, matured nicely with balanced tannines, lot’s of fruit, acidity, secondary and tertiary notes. Still has quite a few years of life left before this will deteriorate. (2176 views)

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Weird experience - at first, the nose is brooding and barely yielded anything (spice, dates), and was super dense in the mouth. It remained somewhat tight, and began to exhibit woody/cardboard notes that had us worried it was corked. This ultimately blew off and the wine did a complete 180 at the 3-hour mark. At this point, the nose fully emerged to reveal a mixture of red and dark fruits, earth, and spice - massively large-scaled in the mouth, yet suavely textured, delivering a spice bomb of oak-induced flavors. It was not particular complex, with the scale and superb texture of the wine being the highlight. Based on this experience, I'd hold remaining bottles. Not quite in the same league as the '07 Valdicava that we recently opened, but quite enjoyable nonetheless for what it is! (2328 views)

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Doa. I bought a decent amount & the results have not been good. Possibly heat damaged? (2524 views)

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dark red, garnet rim - dried cherry nose with complex aromas of burnt leather and spice - beautiful mouth with a perfect balance of bright fruit, mature tannins, and fresh acidity - medium 10-15 sec finish - a Brunello showing at its best now - tasted alongside 2004 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova, which was more intense and brooding but not nearly as well developed as the Poggione - I'd enjoy the Poggione now, though it will easily last for another 3-5 years at least (2249 views)

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Auction purchase. Best I've had of these. Perfect cork. Complex. Red cherry, white bean, leather, violets, eucalyptus. Medium length. (3065 views)

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Not my favorite. Going to let it decant for 24hrs and revisit. (2960 views)

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Auction purchase. Drying cork split . This one seemed to need a bit of air to come around. Did not reach the heights of some prior bottles. (2978 views)

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I let it breathe for 3 hours. Drank over 3. Midweight, fruity wine with leather notes. Sweet nose. Bottle held up. (2823 views)

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Enjoyed but good to hold 4 more years. Still really fresh and good silky tannins. Long, black fruit and leather. (2645 views)

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Stellar wine, in its prime. Drinking really well tonight. And I think perhaps this might appreciate a bit more time in bottle too. But curiosity got the best of me for sure. Initially, there was a strange wet cardboard and very oakey note that made me think the worst was yet to come. However, initial taste pretty much just told me that this one is still locked up, as there was still quite a bit of youthful stiff oak that was right on the front. About an hour later, this one was rocking. Crushed rock, leather, black cherry, cola, red licorice. Nose was all of this plus a kind of cobweb/grandma's attic smell? Sounds weird, but it really wasn't off-putting. Middle gained a nitrogenous truffle kind of thing. Finish was surprisingly acidic and went very well with a cream based soup with mushrooms. Well structured. Only survived because it was out of immediate reach! Drink now or hold 5-10 years. (2656 views)

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bottle was flawed (2425 views)

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Decanted for 1.5 hours and paired with grilled NY strips on the bone. Brick red color. On nose, sweet tobacco, sour cherry, earth, orange rind and baking spice. On palate, great mixture of savory and sweet - orange rind, sweet cherry, black cherry and tobacco. High acidity, medium tannins and very long finish. I loved this as did my wife - best wine I have had in 2020. Acquired in 2010, this bottle has continued to get better with age. 95-96 range. (2812 views)

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Pnp, delicious (3066 views)

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Super tight cork, as in bottled yesterday. Opened and waited for half an hour for first sip. On the nose, dried roses, forest floor, a burnt sensation. Fresh and “light” in the mouth, not a hint of tiredness. A soft tannic humming all over the mouth. The longest and most satisfying aftertaste. The wines from Il Poggione allways age beautifullly. (2726 views)

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Outstanding. Ripe dark berry fruit with leather and earth. Classic BdM drinking very well. Still youthful with solid tannic structure - even better in second day. Just started into 2004 but so far very promising. (2709 views)

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Wine Friday with my wife. Beautiful nose and a pallet that overflows with dark cherry and leather. Some spice and other flavors I'm not good at picking out. Great mouthfeel and long finish. This is an outstanding wine that is in its prime drinking window. 30 min decant. Tannins are totally integrated. If you can find this it is a wine you want to try. (2642 views)

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93+ pts. Very good Brunello that has developed nicely with a long life ahead of it. Beautiful dried cherry / Ludens cherry cough drops on the nose that I love. Quite rich and concentrated on the palate. A big wine, but smooth tannins give it a silky texture and feeling of balance. (2497 views)

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Oct 2018: With minestrone. Excellent. Great flavors, lots of fruit, depth, some spice. Chewy cherries. *Very* concentrated. Bordering on cloying. Keep cool. (2259 views)

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Dark cherry, currants, tomatoe soup, clove, tobacco, great freshness and acidity. Strong dusty tannins on the finish are still present, only diminishing slightly after 3 hours open in the bottle. Very good now, should drink well for another 5-10 years. (2567 views)

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red fruits, spices & sun dried tomatoes. Still young & primary. What a nose!
Palate- sun dried tomatoes, fresh red fruits, fresh herbs- mint-york peppermint patty. Great balance between the fruit & oak. Wow! This definitely has the stuffing to go the distance. (1962 views)

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Right at the spot. Dried/burnt cherries, wet earth. Still a nice freshness - actually very fresh indeed. Can’t see it improve from here. Will uncork my last bottle before long. (3287 views)

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Two hour decant, nice nose, dusty mouthfeel with some spice and very fine subdued tannins. Given parker's great reviews I expected to be wowed but was not. Still, a good brunello and my wotn, but no one else's. (3246 views)

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Can’t add much to the previous note - which sums up the wine very well.

Medium garnet. Pronounced aromas of dried cherries, plum, figs, honey, thyme, leather, smoke, earth. Fully developed. Dry palate, high acidity, medium + tannins, fine but still quite grippy, med + alcohol, full body. Pronounced flavours similar to the nose. Long finish, very persistent. Outstanding quality Brunello, great depth and complexity of flavour, balanced by the acidity and the tannins, ready for drinking now, not suitable for further ageing. (3153 views)

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nice mix of (now less potent) red fruit and secondary flavors; some forest floor and a bit of cigar box; wood is more integrated than i recall from earlier bottles; balanced and still with good structure; aging gracefully (3362 views)

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Medium garnet. Pronounced aromas of dried cherries, plum, figs, honey, thyme, leather, smoke, earth. Fully developed. Dry palate, high acidity, medium + tannins, fine but still quite grippy, med + alcohol, full body. Pronounced flavours similar to the nose. Long finish, very persistent. Outstanding quality Brunello, great depth and complexity of flavour, balanced by the acidity and the tannins, ready for drinking now, not suitable for further ageing. Bought at the domaine in 2010 - well worth the wait. (3416 views)

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It’s in a really great spot at the moment. A lot of structure still with tamed fruit and well integrated tannins. (2941 views)

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Good depth of flavor. Not as much body as other 2004 riservas. (2711 views)

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Lovely and balanced. A bit more complex, but less bright than the normale, presumably due to oak influence (2971 views)

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Wonderful (3197 views)

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Beautiful Brunello just coming into it’s drinking window. Paired perfectly with a Tuscan bone-in ribeye. (2910 views)

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SLDS March 2018: Red licorice, cherry, oak and leather on the nose. The palate is tight and controlled, with acid, tannin and oak all providing structure. In an in-between phase right now, this needs to be given some time. (3628 views)

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Decanted for 1/2 hr then back in the bottle, med. ruby, cherries & leather, mod. tannins, med. finish; very good, drink or hold (3851 views)

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Great Brunello and still in wonderful shape. Colour remains bright deep and youthful. Very evident Brunello aroma. The taste experience over two hours was a journey - but at all times a delightful one. The wine initially showed like a new release Brunello with tempting flavour hidden behind puckering acidity and a slightly closed finished. It then presented a kaleidoscope of evolutions finishing very rounded with robust red/black fruit, some earthy herbaceousness and evolved caramel type hues but still with a light youthful residual acidity mouthfeel. Great depth of flavour - bold but refined and everything in balance. Excellent. (3790 views)

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Drank over 2 days. Tired and uninspiring (3764 views)

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I continue to find this wine underwhelming. (3934 views)

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I am so disappointed I didn't try the wine before airing it two hours. I think the seller didn't store properly and it matured faster than it could, so it was probably ready to drink without air. Reidel brunello glass and first tried at 1.5 hrs and was a slightly bitter, so I thought another hour would improve and it only got worse. This has happened before and I vow again, not to listen to readers comments on air time without trying as soon as I open. (4001 views)

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One of the best 2004 Brunellos I have had to date. Very well-balanced, with great acidity that helped pair well with everything from pasta to fish. Aromas of ripe raspberries with a hint of licorice. The taste is velvety and smooth with layers of dark fruit and a bit of earth. Better after two hours with room to develop even more. (4322 views)

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Great wine. Dark fruits and great acidity. Big mid pallet and a long finish. Consumed with a wild boar ragu over polenta. (4739 views)

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Contradictory to other tasting notes, this wine not only is in prime time, but the tannins were exceptionally soft and resolved. Floral bouquet. Not much fruit on the palate, but nicely matured with hints of oak, herbs and leather. Silky, elegant and delicious. Medium finish. (Doris loved this wine) (4481 views)

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A total monster of a wine at 12+ years old, and probably needs another 5-8 years before it's ready for prime time. Huge monster wall of tannin, some oak, cherry, balsamic, herbs out of the gates that tones down after 4 hours of air. This is not the most refined Brunello out there, but what it lacks in finesse and grace, it more than makes up for in power and muscle. Good amount of upside here and it speaks to the quality not just of the producer, but of the 2004 vintage in general. 92+ (4532 views)

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Slow-0x over 5 hours and that was not enough. Elegant, and restrained in a 2004 vintage way. A heavy swirl really woke up a great, fruity nose but the palate is not heavy on fruit (2004). Love this wine, love this vintage in a traditional way. Mineral, red fruit. great length. HOLD next bottle 5+ years. (4022 views)

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I agree with CWILLIAM below but score it a point higher. Delicious. (3670 views)

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Consistent with my note from 10/2015 - "Dark red color with some bricking around the edges and throwing a small amount of sediment. Big nose (toned down with airtime) - bright cherry, leather, tobacco, sour cherry, dried cherry. On palate, medium body with high acidity and very long finish. Flavor profile was cherry, sour cherry with strong tannic structure."

Should have let this sit - Oddly, was best on night 1 with 4 hour decant and not as good on night 2 or 3. 93+/- (3307 views)

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Secondary notes just coming around, good wine, pretty big. (3338 views)

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Decanted for more than an hour before tasting. Really tart. Stoppered the decanter and resumed 24 hours later. Still tart. Eventually mellowed and was briefly delicious before fading. Cork was fine. Possibly a flawed bottle? Possibly too early? Reserving judgment on this one until we have try the second bottle. (3659 views)

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Beautiful and slightly-tart cherry bomb with a touch of mineral and a faint puff of smoke on the finish. Decant showed pronounced bricking as an indication that this wine has hit its secondary life...
I've been wondering for years why this feels more like French earth than Italian earth, and the comments I've read in earlier TNs on utilizing French oak barrels must be why this is so. Either way, absolutely delicious.
This may as well be the barometer for what a classic BdM should be. Tart cherry, flinty mineral, mild forest floor with a slightly smoky finish. Beautiful! I thought I overbought, but now will need to begin to parcel these out over time so I get to see the evolution into its second decade and emerging tertiary qualities... 93+ (4370 views)

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Decant for sediment. Opened after an hour. Tannins resolved, layered flavors of matured red fruits, oak, slight leather. Well rounded with a bit of spice. (4676 views)

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(3oz - Coravin) First time tasting the Riserva. We have had non-Riserva on at least half dozen occasions. The latter is ready; former is not. Galloni estimated drinking period at 2019-2039 (April 2010), and we could not agree more. All the components for a fabulous brunello is there. Killer nose as of now. NR. (4480 views)

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Somewhat bashful nose, probably due to pop and pour. This wine could use decanting for at least an hour. Rather rustic palate but it went well with lasagna.Should improve with more time so give it 2 to 5 years and try again. (4694 views)

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corked/bad (4404 views)

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Developing into a 'wow' wine. Still young with oak and tannin poking out around every corner. The differentiator in this wine however is a depth much richer and rounder than most. Think barolo riserva style with serious acidity. Dark ruby. Rich sour cherry with graphite and charcoal. Really promising. Wiill (try to) wait 3-5 years for next bottle targeting further oak integration. (4107 views)

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Decanted for 4+ hours and poured back into bottle and brought into restaurant. Dark red color with some bricking around the edges and throwing a small amount of sediment. Big nose (toned down with airtime) - bright cherry, leather, tobacco, sour cherry, dried cherry. On palate, medium body with high acidity and very long finish. Flavor profile was cherry, sour cherry with strong tannic structure.

Really enjoyed this and his improved from my last bottle tasted in 12/2010. 93+ (3389 views)

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Had at restaurant with 1hr decant. Still a lot of youthful vigor present. Rich red and black fruit nose, with notes of black cherry, strawberry, leather and perhaps some lavender. Heavy on the palette and a bit drying at first, it continued to open up in glass, gaining in acidity and with the tannin becoming coarser and sweeter. A spectacular wine, but I would suggest at least a 2 hour decant if you want to do it justice. Lots of scope to continue cellaring this one. (3333 views)

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Wonderful cherry bomb, touch of mineral and a faint puff of smoke on the finish. I've been wondering for years why this hits me as more like French earth than Italian earth, and the comments I've read in earlier TNs on utilizing French oak barrels is perhaps why this is so. Either way, delicious. (3723 views)

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dark ruby colour. nose: full of cherries; rather sweet with some delicate tobacco notes; robust but elegant. taste: very balanced and deep, full bodied. some dark fruits and a lot of sweet notes. Generally quite soft on the palate and ready to drink now. French oak gives this one roundness and bit diffitent style. (4122 views)

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Lunch at Il Barone in Newport Beach. Displays refined notes of red currants, red plums, crushed granite, and fennel. Savory on the palate. Good tension and acidity. Would benefit from an hour decant. (4434 views)

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Four years is a long time for any wine to spend in any type of wooden barrel, and I'm afraid it was far too long for this wine. When ageing is conducted in oak vessels of 30 - 60 HL in size, the surface area to volume ratio is so reduced that theoretically, it shouldn't make much difference if the botti are made from French oak or the traditional Slavonian oak. This wine, however, argues that origin of the oak does matter, because this wine smells and tastes exactly like a newish Allier oak barrel and not a thing like Brunello. In fact, the oaky character of this wine, complete with pervasive notes of vanilla extract, overwhelms what good character there is in this wine. Although Il Poggione does age its Brunello and Brunello Riserva in large, 30-60 HL French oak botti, one does not expect this type of pervasive French oak character from an Il Poggione wine. You can tell this would have been a tasty wine. There's plenty there, but it's unfortunately marred by the oak treatment. A rather baffling experience. It will be interested to see how subsequent bottles compare to this one. (4220 views)

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Excellent wine, in it's drinking window now! (4365 views)

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Open That Bottle Night 2015 (Duluth, GA): This was very similar to the normale BdM from the same vintage tasted the night before except the palate was a bit richer, the nutty character was very strong, I love the producer but the wine was hurt by all of the more sweetly fruited New World wines surrounding it. (4535 views)

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2019 to 2039 (4247 views)

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We aerated before we poured and had it paired with Pesto Shrimp Pasta. This was an excellent pairing as the wine worked. Had some dark cherry, red fruit and cigar box flavors. (5369 views)

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At age 10, still drinking like a youngster. Would love to try this again at age 20. Deep purple, nearly opaque in color with extraordinary aromatics of black fruit, a touch of petrol and some interesting hints of herbs, which carry to palate with subtle wild cherry, loamy earth and soft tannins. Should evolve into a true reference for Brunello, and wish we had a couple more bottles to enjoy the transformation. Raves at the table from all. (5387 views)

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Two hour Vinturi decant, rebottle for transit, 1 hour slow-ox...this may as well be the barometer for what a classic BdM should be. Tart cherry, flinty mineral, mild forest floor with a slightly smoky finish. Beautiful! I thought I overbought, but now will need to begin to parcel these out over time so I get to see the evolution into its second decade and beyond. This is beginning to brick and show its age. (5238 views)

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PNP due to very late decision on restaurant choice. Took 45 Minutes come around, but that didn't slow the pace of consumption. Paired nicely with cannelloni, eggplant and mozzarella. Tannins still slightly firm, but not a concern. Poggione always a good Brunello, think in recalling others back to 1988 this is one of the better. (6020 views)

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Wine dinner with the Johnson's (Our lake house): Amazing complexity. Top wine for the guys tonight. Not as well liked by the ladies. Very dry, peppered with a strong nose. Still young. Will be better in 10 years. Decanted for 8 hours and still needed more. One for the cellar. (5608 views)

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Restaurant PnP; 30 minute slow-ox. Wonderful, as always, but tart cherry seems to be dominating the mild sous-bois that had started to evolve. Beautiful flinty-mineral palate and classic BdM profile. (4720 views)

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The sweetness of this wine was distracting. I hope this gets better. (4888 views)

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Sunday at Ken's; 7/14/2013-7/15/2013: Still quite young, but very nice. A nose of cherries, sandalwood, vanilla and tea. On the palate, this is juicy and full bodied. Still young and robust but starting to layer. Lots of cherries, some dried tea. Great acidity. Long finish. Wonderful wine. (6422 views)

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Very good but I wish it had more body on the palate. (4910 views)

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Garnet all the way to the rim; served slightly warm; nose is dusty, sandy, round profile, dried red fruit, cedar, cherry, orangey acid on the finish, pronounced tannin. This has put on lots of weight and tannins are fighting for center stage compared to a bottle I had 2 years ago. Very good, but a little one dimensional and tannic at this point in its evolution. Give it a couple more years or decant for a while. (5756 views)

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Classic BdM...a cherry bomb that explodes with fantastic Italian mineral and earth. I've always considered 'sous-bois' to be more of a bordeaux descriptor, but there is a lovely forest floor presence beginning to evolve here. I shipped myself a mixed case for vacation on the Big Island, and am glad to be wining on home turf while I'm away from my cellar. (5089 views)

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2 hour decant (I would give it 4 hours for remaining bottles) medium bodied, spicy and tannic, moderate value. Has backbone for another 20 years. Decent value (5620 views)

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Very earthy with some raspberry and rhubarb. Still highly tannic but there is excellent length and potential once it calms down. (5029 views)

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Solid Brunello. This bottle had a sweet finish, while I prefer a more dry rustic wine. I again wish this wine had more body to it. (5242 views)

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Deep rich red color. Velvety texture. Delicious, peppery after taste. Loved it. (4615 views)

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Wrote a note via CellarVu but it crashed so ill rewrite at the risk of duplication. Huge cherry nose and flavor, very obvious and distinct, like a red starburst. Some complexity but will probably add more with time. Some tannin, but hard not to drink now. Think this could be special down the road. Great. 92+ (4812 views)

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Solid Brunello. Dry. Complex. I wish it had a little more heft, which it may gain in a few years. (4827 views)

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High toned red cherry and dusty early notes. Full structurally, with an alcoholic warmth to the palate, and good detail. Needs time, but manages to combine typicity with interesting. Very nice. (5728 views)

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Fantastic, as always, but tart cherry dominating right now. (6094 views)

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Julie D. wine dinner (Central Park Fusion Cuisine, Hot Springs, Arkansas): My first Riserva Brunello and I hope not my last.

Deep dark red color all the way through. Fresh berries on the nose. Sharply acidic body of fresh cherries and complex earthiness. A long finish. Cin-cin! (6475 views)

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Fantastic & classic BdM...cherry bomb that explodes with fantastic Italian mineral and earth. I wish I was more patient; 'cos this is going to be ultimately and supremely beautiful with a bit more cellar age. This vineyard now dominates my cellar, and I could't be happier! (6080 views)

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OMG on night 2 it was off the charts. When first open it was very nice but would not of given it a 95 rating (very high for me and most of you on CT). Brought to friends house to finish and he was blown away especially since he is not a big wine drinker. I am just excited that still have 2 more bottles to sit on with thought will even get better. An incredible value. (7005 views)

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Always wonderful classic BdM with tart cherry and a slight mustiness and a bit of smoke on the finish. Great stuff! (7203 views)

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Minneapolis Wine Club does Tuscany (Anita's House): This wine needs to develop and I hope it does based on the big scores it received. Red currents, leather, wood, blueberries, mushrooms and spice. There is a lot of interesting aspects to the wine but it is not real concentrated. I would advise cellaring for five years or more. (7571 views)

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Mpls Wine Club Does Tuscany (Minnetonka, MN): Dark red color. Nose has leather, red currants, black cherry and raspberry, subtle earth. The palate is consistent with tart dark red fruits, and spice. There is some heat on this and it is not as concentrated. (7779 views)

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(crime about to happen...) Pop & pour. Infanticide. Guests really liked it, but did they truly APPRECIATE it? Ruby w/understated/closed nose. Round red fruit, tart cherry finish. Young but promise of a wonderful future; this is a mid-to-high 90s-pointer with just a bit of bottle age. Love this producer! (7995 views)

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Fantastic and will only get better. Cherry bomb; see my earlier notes. (8655 views)

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Decanted for 6 hours but it has yet to open up. Worked up a whiff of dark fruit after a few hours then later a hint of cherry. Tart. Big and dusty tannins. I'll come back to this bottle in a few days. The next bottle in 5 years. (8843 views)

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Well balanced wine with a long finish. Berries, red candies, nice tannins. Should continue to age well. (8370 views)

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Thought I might have overbought at first but now realize that this gem should represent the single largest holding in my cellar. While it might sound funny to say that an $80-ish wine represents fantastic QPR, it's true...beautiful cherry everywhere, beautiful balance, beautiful wine! (8689 views)

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Importer tasting (@ PA): A mouth full. Ripe dark cherries and plums, earthy impressions, rustic. Firm but good bitterness and acidity. Very good juice. The finish is medium long now, but this wine needs another 5+ years of ageing. 92+ (9038 views)

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The wood is lovely dark and deep. In fact, I couldn't taste much but wood for the first three hours after opening, a sure sign that this lion-hearted wine should be left in hibernation for a another four or five years, assuming lions hibernate, or that it must be subjected to an extended decant. As the wood began to subside, I found increasingly appealing waves of ripe cherry and plum fruit, along with subtle back notes of menthol, leather, and light smoke. The finish was long, and impeccably balanced over fine grained tannins.

Upon reflection, this lone bottle, purchased at auction for around $70, is a symbol for me of the incredible value on the "high end" of the Italian wine spectrum. This beautiful and authentic wine, reflecting its terroir and traditions with great integrity, is a freakin' steal compared to other parts of the "luxury" wine world. Brunello is hardly a secret, but shame on me for not finding discovering this sooner. But patience is required! (8866 views)

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Consistently wonderful classic BdM. Tart cherry and beautiful! (8812 views)

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Young Barolo vs. Brunello; 12/18/2010-12/19/2010 (Haslams House): Wine 3 of 8. Decanted for 5 hours before tasting (note to self - drink remaing bottles 2014+ as this wine is closed down). Medium red color. Beautiful nose - rose petals / floral / raspberry. Medium body (dark cherry / forest floor on palate). Long finish - lots of tannins. I preferred this to the '06 Vietti but 5/7 in group preferred the '06 Vietti Rocche to this wine. I wrote down 94+ but that was more based on potential than where it is today - 92+ today. (10385 views)

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Very nice medium body red with hints of fruit and cherries. Tasted better as the evening went on. (9536 views)

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2004 Brunello Tasting (Gentile's (Columbus, OH)): The regular, amped correctly. Really beautiful textures that are layered very dynamically is what separates this from the regular. Very good. (10651 views)

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Ruby color with an understated/closed nose on decant. Round red fruit with a rather tart cherry finish. This is young but promises a wonderful future; I can't wait to watch this one evolve...I'm guessing this is a 95/96-pointer with just a bit of bottle age. This vineyard is becoming one of my favorite producers. (10012 views)

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Darker fruits on the nose than the normale; color is ruby, not purple; dark, concentrated fruit flavors. Needs a lot of time, but this will be a blockbuster. A little tough to take now because of the tannins, but this is fantastic stuff. 94-95 (11001 views)

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