Rødorange med mursteinskant. Mørk kjerne. Fiken, tørkede plommer, lakris, pipetobakk. I munnen er det tørkede kirsebær, plommer, svisker, pepper og kjøtt. Strukturert og frisk i munnen. Mye mindre alderspreg i munnen med ganske tydelige tanniner. 92-93
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Fabulous! Opened and let sit in the glass 30 min. Was perfect. Cherry, leather, herb aroma and a great cherry flavor. Nice, long finish. Won’t get better. Enjoy now. Agree with the other comment - this is why you have a cellar. 20+ year old Brunellos come to those who buy and lay down, and the are fabulous.
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Method: opened at Pasta Bar restaurant; Burgundy glass
Mint, light cherry; long finish; med plus acid; med minus body; med minus annin
Overall thoughts: Elegant, expeessive and complex. In a really great spot right now and wonderful with duck and Australian wagyu courses. 93 to 94 points. Really great wine!
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Drinking really nicely now! As one reviewer noted “this is why I have a cellar.” And this is why Brunellos should be in everyone’s list and in everyone’s mind. The wonderful cherry aroma, soft integrated tannins. Easy to drink with a meal.
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Dark reddish garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe red fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, spices, mint, tobacco, leather, minerals, herbs a hint of cedar. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe red fruit flavors of cherries, cranberries & plums with spices, dried herbs, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well with decanting & airing. At 24 years of age, it is approaching its peak of development although it should continue developing with additional aging.
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In prime condition. Wonderful dried figs and mild cocoa on the nose. Took about an hour in the decanter to open. Plenty of dark cherry fruit, some pleasant tartness deep in. Balanced, integrated, terrific follow-through. This is why I have a cellar!
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Red cherries, cranberries, tobacco, leather, tea leaves, really cool mint note toward the end of the palate. Old style with regards to oak aging; which shows on the subtle wood notes mid palate. Nice soft tannins, mellowed by 24 years, and still pretty good acid. IMO, at peak right now. Won't benefit from further aging; but may stick around here for a year or so. Paired with a porterhouse steak; which I pretended was "La Fiorentina"
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"Produced in the traditional way... [with] long wood aging and bottle refinement;" 5,380 cases made.
N: Sour cherries with earth, vanilla, also smoke, coming forward with air; GORGEOUS, particularly in that it keeps coming up with either new or ramifications of aromas already noted!
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by astringent pucker which does QUITE resolve by the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/swtness to the firming, dusty tannins. CERTAINLY approachable now with food, + I can see it going another 4 or 5 yrs, though some of the tasters had recently had another bottle of the same from this questionably stored collection which was in decline. 13.5% ABV; My Exceptional-, POSS full Exceptional? 93 pts WS (Suckling) & #59/Top 100 for '02, 90 Vinous (Beltrami), but 84 WE @ $60. [As of late Mar '19, wine-searcher still shows vendors @ $75, $119, & $120.]
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This wine has rested in our cellar for more than 15 years, and it still provides enormous amounts of pure, hedonistic pleasure. Deep brick colour, heavy tears on the glass. Aged, tertiary aromas of tobacco, tea leaves, warm earth, balsamic herbs and prunes. Full bodied, little tannins left, but still with good freshness. Sweet mouthfeel, like chewing tobacco and dried prunes. Long, and quite fresh aftertaste. This is how I like old Brunellos. On its way down, but will provide drinking pleasure for at least five more years.
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This bottle is over the hill. A little cloudy, candied figs, prunes, toffee, wet wood, overly sweet and flabby. Not flawed but simply too advanced. A cellar purchase, possibly a poorly stored bottle.
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Another slamming 97. Dark nose with luscious cherry syrup accents. Spurting acid line. The balance of the acidity is really spectacular. A little cleaner and more modern that the Fattoria Barbi of the same year. This is a spectacular wine right now.
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A superb old Brunello. Celery salt is the first thing you detect on the nose... but still, it's complex and has fruits. Xeres scent ?. In the mouth, great structure with a mix of ripe fruits and tertiary flavors. Drink now but no hurry.
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Return to San Antonio II (Barbaro): Guessed ’97 brunello – totally lucky guess as I had sangiovese on the mind, and this had a touch of blue fruit mixed in it’s core of cherry red that makes me think Brunello rather than chianti. Great savory and dried herb finish. Probably at peak but will be at this quality level for a while. Great start to the night.
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Coravin 8/4/14: Garnet colored with some bricking; some woody fruit, slight vegetal aromas, some underbrush, like last time it has almost an aroma of corkiness on the nose; palate is balanced, some underlying dark fruit that seems covered up, well balanced; finish continues to have some slight corkiness to it. This is very similar to my last bottle about 1.5 years ago, which leads me to believe that either the winery had a very high rate of corked wines or something about this is just the style of this particular wine (damp forest/cardboard), which strikes me as a somewhat flawed style. Since I've had two similar bottles, I'm rating this as I don't think it's flawed. 85
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Decanted for 1.5 hours before serving with grilled NY Strips. Not able to take notes. Beautiful nose (filled the cellar) - black cherry / dirt / sour cherry. Medium body, dried fruit (more so than the nose would suggest) on the palate with a medium+ finish. Nice, elegant wine. Went well with the steaks. 91+
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After some bad press I started to drink a few of these. The Altero a week ago was flawed. Last night we tried this wine. Gorgeous fruit. The balance and integration you can only achieve with age! A tiny hint of port at first, but that faded into what clearly became a gorgeous and memorable occasion wine! For those of us who risk aging wine, this was the sort of bottle that makes it all worth it. Wondering if the "new style" nature of the Altero limited it's aging capacity?
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Brunello di Montalcino Masterclass Led by Monica Larner (Taberna wine academy): Blind wine 8: This was a real disappointment after a strong showing from wine #7. Funky nose, a bit over and oxidized, showing some porty and leathery notes. Flabby palate, it is over the hill and clearly on its way down. My least favorite wine (#12), and so is the group.
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Brilliant fruit and leather nose immediately on opening. First taste sour cherries, tar and menthol. Some sediment but not a lot. Decanted, let sit for 90 minutes. Then definitely more complex and balanced. Nose added grilled meat. Tar became less prominent, menthol resolved to mint and rosemary. Floral overtones. Probably at its apogee - I'll drink my last bottles of this in the next year or so.
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Dark, sour, cherry fruit, with herbs, flowers, tar, and leather. Typically great acidity you would expect in a Brunello. Has at least a few good years left.
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Cork was in good condition but very difficult to extract with Ah-so. Initially this wine had a bit of funk that made me suspicious it was corked, but that blew off within 10-15 minutes in the glass (and it seems like something that I get often with Brunello from '97, though I have less experience with other vintages of Brunello). Color is deep garnet with significant bricking; nose has little fruit, woody aromas, some slight spice, slight red fruit; palate is medium bodied, richness and silkiness at the forefront as soon as it hits the palate which transitions to lighter cleaner acidity in the midpalate, some slight red fruit, juicier fruit at the forefront which dissipate towards the finish; finish is medium-long, clean, but with a slight bitterness. Seems structured enough to last a few more years, but ready to drink now. If the next bottle is drastically different, this one is consistent with being corked (but I get this character from Brunello so often that I suspect it's just how it is). Enjoyable with food, but nothing unique and would not recommend to buy.
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Ruby red, transparent at the rim. Aromatic nose of kirsch, with minerality, acid and the perfect sangio bite. Long finish. This is an outstanding bottle of wine. Some floral and earth notes. Some balsam as well. Glorious wine.
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This was the 4th and final red opened during a multi-course Italian meal. It was a more than adequate "clean-up" hitter with lots of acidity and fruit. Got better after sitting in the glass for 15 mins.
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I never really understood this wine (this was the last of 12 bottles). Decanted for an hour and served at 16 degrees, it showed a reserved nose with dark fruits promising great profundity. But the profundity never came, and even if it is perfectly nice and mature without the least trace of decay, it doesn't sing. And never really did.
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Savory wine with some punch still; old world style is cool + refreshing; sumptuous + full showing dried cherries, cranberries, oak & leather balanced by bright cherry acidity on the finish; very classic BdM.
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Enjoyed at Acquerello. Wonderfully dark in color with classic leather and tar on the nose. Plum skin and licorice on the palate of this more elegant than expected Brunello.
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Opened an hour before first taste, took small sips to enjoy the amazing changes as it opened; this wine didn't really wake up for a full three hours. Clean, thin ruby in color, with the beginnings of brick. Complex, ever-changing nose, at various times advancing notes of plum, wet leaves, spice, ozone, and especially when swirled, plenty of barnyard. Interesting on the palate as well, energetic, but dark, red fruit giving way to black, herbaceous highlights, perhaps a little thin. Shortish finish for a Brunello, rather bitter, tannins are almost completely resolved. Delicious, well-crafted, good typicity. Didn't hit me as viscerally as Brunellos sometimes do, and decidedly underwhelming QPR, but truly excellent all the same.
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Ordered at La Campania (Waltham, MA). Initially acid leaning with the tannins hiding behind the acid and big fruit, lots of high toned red fruits with cherry and a tartness that gave off airs of cranberry or citrus. Decanted, and drank over dinner for a little over two hours. The wine opened up in the decanter with the acid subsiding and the tannins appearing over time. Beautiful sweet cherry fruit with licorice and a spicy meatiness on the finish. Terrific balance (which changed from acid leaning early to tannin leaning after two hours in the decanter) and fuller bodied, and the finish kept pumping out those cherries.
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Bright ruby getting slightly orange. Tenderly fruity on the nose with raspberries, blackberries, slight tobacco, crust and rather surprising, but pretty strong caraway notes. Medium+ body, quite juicy, balancing acidity. Earth and coffee on the palate, typically textured. In terms of classical "masculine"/"feminine" stereotypes this one is somewhere in between, rather "youthfull", I'd say, somewhat "crumbly" in structure, but still interesting. Coffee and berries in the aftertaste, not particularly long, a bit spicy.
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Some initial vegetal notes on the nose which blew off after 20 mins. yielding a wonderfully complex nose of smoked meats, licorice and dark cherries. Very bright on the palate with hints of mint and dark cherries. Decanted for 30 mins. Started to lose fruit after an hour of decanting. May start fading if not drunk in the next 2-3 years. Best to drink now.
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Brought to an offline with many other BdM's. I decanted this for about 2 hours before returning ti to bottle. I love that mature Grosso Sangio fruit as it fills the air.... This bottle showed VERY well. I am sure it will continue to improve for at least 5 more years, but its really hitting its stride and coming all together. It was a textbook BdM. Mature dark fruit, with some cooler red berries on the mid-palate which somehow brought a sun burnt orange thought to my mind (prolly just my imagination). Perfectly expected obvious acid balance (contributing to the orangy-ness), and a backbone with smooth tannins and old patina d leather (I am taking a little poetic license with my memory here ... indulge me). The wood added a touch of a smoky dustiness on the finish. I am sorry that this was my last bottle, but as Leo requested it, I was very happy to oblige... provenance was perfect.
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exceeded expectations...gold fruit, adquate secondary flavors...really good mouthfeel...a little too international style for me but really solid wine. Raises my expectations for my other 97 brunellos
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Initially horribly awkward and muted. With time sour cherry and dusty animal fur nuance cut terribly short by a wall of tannins and dominating acidity. Perhaps an anomalous bottle, as this doesn't remind me of the last time I tasted it, but austere and hard to read. Tart. Not unenjoyable, and some potential evident, but not really in top form either.
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A light bodied wine filled with spice, violet florals and cherry fruit. It's easily approachable with subtle mint (caught by Jenise). I thought more complexity shown by this bottle than the following one, yet entirely differing styles. I haven't as much faith in it's longevity as some others, but it does exude some charm and old world Sangiovese acid.
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Tokyo Tasting Group Round #2 -- 90/97 Sangiovese, plus Champagne and Dessert (Cuisine 219 Tokyo): Nose is reserved and still a little hemmed in when poured, but shows nice small elements of an array of flavors – sweet black fruit, a whiff of classic sour cherry, some leather, some floral perfume, and little wood. With time, these become a little bigger and more pronounced, but never really explode. The palate is much more active, with largely smooth but still very evident tannins, a good core of ripe but elegant cherry and black raspberry fruit, and notes of spice and tar. A nice balance between elegance and sweet fruit, this is drinking well enough now that I see little reason to wait. This was the group’s wine of the flight. Based on tonight’s showing I might agree, but a slightly short finish and a little lack of acid brightness makes me wonder whether the Banfi won’t outpace it in time.
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Bright lt to med ruby, aromas of charred wood, funk smoke, nuts, subtle cherry, b3, a3, t3, nice tart red fruit, firm acidity, mouth-coating tannic finish, simple but quite nice
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Ruby core with a slightly watery rim. Fragrant nose of spicy rhubarb, lavender, cinnamon and nutmeg. very nice, but the palate failed to impress. Tasted much more like a low priced Chianti, cranberry notes, tons of wood, and distinct greeness. The finish was short, suprisingly lean, with herbal tones and quite mouth drying tannins. Not fun.
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Medium-ruby to a pink rim. Crystal clear in the class. Sweet floral, berry, and plum notes on the nose. Lovely on the palate, sweet fruit and berries in this medium-full bodied wine. Very nice.
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12/28/2023 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rødorange med mursteinskant. Mørk kjerne. Fiken, tørkede plommer, lakris, pipetobakk. I munnen er det tørkede kirsebær, plommer, svisker, pepper og kjøtt. Strukturert og frisk i munnen. Mye mindre alderspreg i munnen med ganske tydelige tanniner. 92-93
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12/28/2022 - Rixley wrote: 93 Points
Fabulous! Opened and let sit in the glass 30 min. Was perfect. Cherry, leather, herb aroma and a great cherry flavor. Nice, long finish.
Won’t get better. Enjoy now. Agree with the other comment - this is why you have a cellar. 20+ year old Brunellos come to those who buy and lay down, and the are fabulous.
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12/18/2022 - JRockEsq Likes this wine: 93 Points
Method: opened at Pasta Bar restaurant; Burgundy glass
Mint, light cherry; long finish; med plus acid; med minus body; med minus annin
Overall thoughts: Elegant, expeessive and complex. In a really great spot right now and wonderful with duck and Australian wagyu courses. 93 to 94 points. Really great wine!
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11/20/2021 - Rixley Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really nicely now! As one reviewer noted “this is why I have a cellar.”
And this is why Brunellos should be in everyone’s list and in everyone’s mind. The wonderful cherry aroma, soft integrated tannins. Easy to drink with a meal.
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10/4/2021 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark reddish garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe red fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, spices, mint, tobacco, leather, minerals, herbs a hint of cedar. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe red fruit flavors of cherries, cranberries & plums with spices, dried herbs, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well with decanting & airing. At 24 years of age, it is approaching its peak of development although it should continue developing with additional aging.
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8/13/2021 - jenniaa Likes this wine: 90 Points
In prime condition. Wonderful dried figs and mild cocoa on the nose. Took about an hour in the decanter to open. Plenty of dark cherry fruit, some pleasant tartness deep in. Balanced, integrated, terrific follow-through. This is why I have a cellar!
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5/24/2021 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 91 Points
Red cherries, cranberries, tobacco, leather, tea leaves, really cool mint note toward the end of the palate. Old style with regards to oak aging; which shows on the subtle wood notes mid palate. Nice soft tannins, mellowed by 24 years, and still pretty good acid. IMO, at peak right now. Won't benefit from further aging; but may stick around here for a year or so. Paired with a porterhouse steak; which I pretended was "La Fiorentina"
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12/17/2019 - madalyn Likes this wine: 94 Points
I was concerned I waited too long to enjoy, my first note was chocolate! dark fruits very nice. I used the Corvina so I will try again tomorrow.
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9/8/2019 - acyso wrote: flawed
Vinetasters: 1997 Super Tuscans (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Oxidized.
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3/23/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 4 *shared* bottles] from 03/22/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Dr. Tom, once again, THANK you for sharing this SUPERB wine! :)
"Produced in the traditional way... [with] long wood aging and bottle refinement;" 5,380 cases made.
N: Sour cherries with earth, vanilla, also smoke, coming forward with air; GORGEOUS, particularly in that it keeps coming up with either new or ramifications of aromas already noted!
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by astringent pucker which does QUITE resolve by the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/swtness to the firming, dusty tannins. CERTAINLY approachable now with food, + I can see it going another 4 or 5 yrs, though some of the tasters had recently had another bottle of the same from this questionably stored collection which was in decline. 13.5% ABV; My Exceptional-, POSS full Exceptional? 93 pts WS (Suckling) & #59/Top 100 for '02, 90 Vinous (Beltrami), but 84 WE @ $60. [As of late Mar '19, wine-searcher still shows vendors @ $75, $119, & $120.]
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8/31/2018 - swapdoc wrote:
Well aged wine, leather, earth, red dried fruits, prunes. Aged, balanced wine, with a nod toward a mature integrated fruit.
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6/25/2017 - dagij wrote: 91 Points
This wine has rested in our cellar for more than 15 years, and it still provides enormous amounts of pure, hedonistic pleasure. Deep brick colour, heavy tears on the glass. Aged, tertiary aromas of tobacco, tea leaves, warm earth, balsamic herbs and prunes. Full bodied, little tannins left, but still with good freshness. Sweet mouthfeel, like chewing tobacco and dried prunes. Long, and quite fresh aftertaste. This is how I like old Brunellos. On its way down, but will provide drinking pleasure for at least five more years.
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4/4/2017 - swapdoc wrote:
This bottle is over the hill. A little cloudy, candied figs, prunes, toffee, wet wood, overly sweet and flabby. Not flawed but simply too advanced. A cellar purchase, possibly a poorly stored bottle.
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3/15/2017 - IPSE wrote:
Another slamming 97. Dark nose with luscious cherry syrup accents. Spurting acid line. The balance of the acidity is really spectacular. A little cleaner and more modern that the Fattoria Barbi of the same year. This is a spectacular wine right now.
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1/22/2017 - jocelyng wrote: 94 Points
A superb old Brunello. Celery salt is the first thing you detect on the nose... but still, it's complex and has fruits. Xeres scent ?. In the mouth, great structure with a mix of ripe fruits and tertiary flavors. Drink now but no hurry.
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12/1/2016 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
WCC Pre-2000 Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): Sweet, ripe, juicy. Has a depth and complexity that most of the others don't. Wine of the flight.
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4/24/2016 - franinnyc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Found this in my inlaws wine cellar. Nicely balanced and very smooth. Fruit is fading. But very nice nonetheless.
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1/19/2015 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Return to San Antonio II (Barbaro): Guessed ’97 brunello – totally lucky guess as I had sangiovese on the mind, and this had a touch of blue fruit mixed in it’s core of cherry red that makes me think Brunello rather than chianti. Great savory and dried herb finish. Probably at peak but will be at this quality level for a while. Great start to the night.
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12/14/2014 - MattJ wrote: 91 Points
Mature, hints of port on the nose. Nice complexity and balanced although on the downturn evidenced by fading fruit and heavy sediment.
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8/4/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 85 Points
Coravin 8/4/14: Garnet colored with some bricking; some woody fruit, slight vegetal aromas, some underbrush, like last time it has almost an aroma of corkiness on the nose; palate is balanced, some underlying dark fruit that seems covered up, well balanced; finish continues to have some slight corkiness to it. This is very similar to my last bottle about 1.5 years ago, which leads me to believe that either the winery had a very high rate of corked wines or something about this is just the style of this particular wine (damp forest/cardboard), which strikes me as a somewhat flawed style. Since I've had two similar bottles, I'm rating this as I don't think it's flawed. 85
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7/1/2014 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
mature, still tasty
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6/7/2014 - CWilliam wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours before serving with grilled NY Strips. Not able to take notes. Beautiful nose (filled the cellar) - black cherry / dirt / sour cherry. Medium body, dried fruit (more so than the nose would suggest) on the palate with a medium+ finish. Nice, elegant wine. Went well with the steaks. 91+
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4/26/2014 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
After some bad press I started to drink a few of these. The Altero a week ago was flawed. Last night we tried this wine. Gorgeous fruit. The balance and integration you can only achieve with age! A tiny hint of port at first, but that faded into what clearly became a gorgeous and memorable occasion wine! For those of us who risk aging wine, this was the sort of bottle that makes it all worth it. Wondering if the "new style" nature of the Altero limited it's aging capacity?
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3/16/2014 - hkm520240 wrote: flawed
Brunello di Montalcino Masterclass Led by Monica Larner (Taberna wine academy): Blind wine 8: This was a real disappointment after a strong showing from wine #7. Funky nose, a bit over and oxidized, showing some porty and leathery notes. Flabby palate, it is over the hill and clearly on its way down. My least favorite wine (#12), and so is the group.
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2/1/2014 - davidkatz62 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brilliant fruit and leather nose immediately on opening. First taste sour cherries, tar and menthol. Some sediment but not a lot. Decanted, let sit for 90 minutes. Then definitely more complex and balanced. Nose added grilled meat. Tar became less prominent, menthol resolved to mint and rosemary. Floral overtones. Probably at its apogee - I'll drink my last bottles of this in the next year or so.
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7/23/2013 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark, sour, cherry fruit, with herbs, flowers, tar, and leather. Typically great acidity you would expect in a Brunello. Has at least a few good years left.
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5/7/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 87 Points
Cork was in good condition but very difficult to extract with Ah-so. Initially this wine had a bit of funk that made me suspicious it was corked, but that blew off within 10-15 minutes in the glass (and it seems like something that I get often with Brunello from '97, though I have less experience with other vintages of Brunello). Color is deep garnet with significant bricking; nose has little fruit, woody aromas, some slight spice, slight red fruit; palate is medium bodied, richness and silkiness at the forefront as soon as it hits the palate which transitions to lighter cleaner acidity in the midpalate, some slight red fruit, juicier fruit at the forefront which dissipate towards the finish; finish is medium-long, clean, but with a slight bitterness. Seems structured enough to last a few more years, but ready to drink now. If the next bottle is drastically different, this one is consistent with being corked (but I get this character from Brunello so often that I suspect it's just how it is). Enjoyable with food, but nothing unique and would not recommend to buy.
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11/1/2012 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Bit sharp d1, d2, fills in, tangy fruit, earth, still enough fruit, upside?
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10/17/2012 - Whine-oh wrote: 91 Points
Some bricking, little sed. Nice earth n cherries, good minerality n acidity. Stood up well to mild islands fare.
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10/14/2012 - thursty wrote: flawed
Corked unfortunately...
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6/5/2012 - Montecalvo wrote: flawed
Oxidized despite being stored under ideal conditions. Will never age brunellos beyond ten years again.
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6/2/2012 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
These wines... 97 Brunellos... are just wonderful right now!!!
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5/2/2012 - winemaker wrote: 96 Points
Ruby red, transparent at the rim. Aromatic nose of kirsch, with minerality, acid and the perfect sangio bite. Long finish. This is an outstanding bottle of wine. Some floral and earth notes. Some balsam as well. Glorious wine.
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3/22/2012 - mchanin4 wrote: 92 Points
This was the 4th and final red opened during a multi-course Italian meal. It was a more than adequate "clean-up" hitter with lots of acidity and fruit. Got better after sitting in the glass for 15 mins.
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5/7/2011 - roygui wrote: flawed
5 years too late
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5/7/2011 - clodam wrote: flawed
Madérisé
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4/25/2011 - DK Amateur wrote:
I never really understood this wine (this was the last of 12 bottles). Decanted for an hour and served at 16 degrees, it showed a reserved nose with dark fruits promising great profundity. But the profundity never came, and even if it is perfectly nice and mature without the least trace of decay, it doesn't sing. And never really did.
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1/9/2011 - texbas57 wrote: 99 Points
Perfect wine. Mellow yet not overdone. Smooth fruit.
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11/27/2010 - winejnky wrote: 91 Points
Savory wine with some punch still; old world style is cool + refreshing; sumptuous + full showing dried cherries, cranberries, oak & leather balanced by bright cherry acidity on the finish; very classic BdM.
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9/10/2010 - CADomer wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed at Acquerello. Wonderfully dark in color with classic leather and tar on the nose. Plum skin and licorice on the palate of this more elegant than expected Brunello.
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7/21/2010 - LWI wrote: 92 Points
Good acidity; fairly good body, some minerals, tight, dark berries.
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11/20/2009 - finlero wrote: 89 Points
Opened an hour before first taste, took small sips to enjoy the amazing changes as it opened; this wine didn't really wake up for a full three hours. Clean, thin ruby in color, with the beginnings of brick. Complex, ever-changing nose, at various times advancing notes of plum, wet leaves, spice, ozone, and especially when swirled, plenty of barnyard. Interesting on the palate as well, energetic, but dark, red fruit giving way to black, herbaceous highlights, perhaps a little thin. Shortish finish for a Brunello, rather bitter, tannins are almost completely resolved. Delicious, well-crafted, good typicity. Didn't hit me as viscerally as Brunellos sometimes do, and decidedly underwhelming QPR, but truly excellent all the same.
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11/15/2009 - Cahill wrote: 93 Points
Ordered at La Campania (Waltham, MA). Initially acid leaning with the tannins hiding behind the acid and big fruit, lots of high toned red fruits with cherry and a tartness that gave off airs of cranberry or citrus. Decanted, and drank over dinner for a little over two hours. The wine opened up in the decanter with the acid subsiding and the tannins appearing over time. Beautiful sweet cherry fruit with licorice and a spicy meatiness on the finish. Terrific balance (which changed from acid leaning early to tannin leaning after two hours in the decanter) and fuller bodied, and the finish kept pumping out those cherries.
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6/16/2009 - MattJ wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyable. Still a few years left in this and very nice with the herb butter parmigiano stuffed rack of lamb.
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3/31/2009 - igaf wrote:
Bright ruby getting slightly orange. Tenderly fruity on the nose with raspberries, blackberries, slight tobacco, crust and rather surprising, but pretty strong caraway notes. Medium+ body, quite juicy, balancing acidity. Earth and coffee on the palate, typically textured. In terms of classical "masculine"/"feminine" stereotypes this one is somewhere in between, rather "youthfull", I'd say, somewhat "crumbly" in structure, but still interesting. Coffee and berries in the aftertaste, not particularly long, a bit spicy.
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8/8/2008 - ricknat1 wrote:
getting lighter. Stephanie enjoyed more than me
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6/29/2008 - lafon_rochet wrote: 93 Points
Some initial vegetal notes on the nose which blew off after 20 mins. yielding a wonderfully complex nose of smoked meats, licorice and dark cherries. Very bright on the palate with hints of mint and dark cherries. Decanted for 30 mins. Started to lose fruit after an hour of decanting. May start fading if not drunk in the next 2-3 years. Best to drink now.
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4/26/2008 - gzim wrote: 92 Points
Brought to an offline with many other BdM's. I decanted this for about 2 hours before returning ti to bottle. I love that mature Grosso Sangio fruit as it fills the air.... This bottle showed VERY well. I am sure it will continue to improve for at least 5 more years, but its really hitting its stride and coming all together. It was a textbook BdM. Mature dark fruit, with some cooler red berries on the mid-palate which somehow brought a sun burnt orange thought to my mind (prolly just my imagination). Perfectly expected obvious acid balance (contributing to the orangy-ness), and a backbone with smooth tannins and old patina d leather (I am taking a little poetic license with my memory here ... indulge me). The wood added a touch of a smoky dustiness on the finish. I am sorry that this was my last bottle, but as Leo requested it, I was very happy to oblige... provenance was perfect.
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2/3/2008 - gellie wrote: 89 Points
Still not feeling it
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12/18/2007 - JBVino wrote:
exceeded expectations...gold fruit, adquate secondary flavors...really good mouthfeel...a little too international style for me but really solid wine. Raises my expectations for my other 97 brunellos
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11/1/2007 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 88 Points
Good if somewhat rustic, not overly complex but solid, tasty santio, nuts, earth, some cherry fruit, still room to age
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10/29/2007 - nytiger wrote: 91 Points
some brickish tints, fine nose and flavors
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5/27/2006 - gellie wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours,dried cherrys,figs.soild tannis.will do a bit better with age
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3/9/2006 - psmith wrote: 86 Points
Initially horribly awkward and muted. With time sour cherry and dusty animal fur nuance cut terribly short by a wall of tannins and dominating acidity. Perhaps an anomalous bottle, as this doesn't remind me of the last time I tasted it, but austere and hard to read. Tart. Not unenjoyable, and some potential evident, but not really in top form either.
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12/28/2005 - cgoumas wrote: 91 Points
Right in stride. Drink now and over the next 3-4 years. Dark fruit, tobacco, herbs and chocolate. Very nice with a pasta main course.
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11/7/2005 - Shiraziste wrote: 88 Points
A light bodied wine filled with spice, violet florals and cherry fruit. It's easily approachable with subtle mint (caught by Jenise). I thought more complexity shown by this bottle than the following one, yet entirely differing styles. I haven't as much faith in it's longevity as some others, but it does exude some charm and old world Sangiovese acid.
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10/28/2005 - jrufusj wrote:
Tokyo Tasting Group Round #2 -- 90/97 Sangiovese, plus Champagne and Dessert (Cuisine 219 Tokyo): Nose is reserved and still a little hemmed in when poured, but shows nice small elements of an array of flavors – sweet black fruit, a whiff of classic sour cherry, some leather, some floral perfume, and little wood. With time, these become a little bigger and more pronounced, but never really explode. The palate is much more active, with largely smooth but still very evident tannins, a good core of ripe but elegant cherry and black raspberry fruit, and notes of spice and tar. A nice balance between elegance and sweet fruit, this is drinking well enough now that I see little reason to wait. This was the group’s wine of the flight. Based on tonight’s showing I might agree, but a slightly short finish and a little lack of acid brightness makes me wonder whether the Banfi won’t outpace it in time.
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10/1/2004 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 87 Points
Bright lt to med ruby, aromas of charred wood, funk smoke, nuts, subtle cherry, b3, a3, t3, nice tart red fruit, firm acidity, mouth-coating tannic finish, simple but quite nice
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8/8/2004 - Koods wrote: 80 Points
Ruby core with a slightly watery rim. Fragrant nose of spicy rhubarb, lavender, cinnamon and nutmeg. very nice, but the palate failed to impress. Tasted much more like a low priced Chianti, cranberry notes, tons of wood, and distinct greeness. The finish was short, suprisingly lean, with herbal tones and quite mouth drying tannins. Not fun.
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1/27/2003 - futronic wrote: 92 Points
Medium-ruby to a pink rim. Crystal clear in the class. Sweet floral, berry, and plum notes on the nose. Lovely on the palate, sweet fruit and berries in this medium-full bodied wine. Very nice.
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