Decanted for 2 hrs, drank over the subsequent 3 hrs. Bright garnet red with orange rim. A bit closed on the nose for awhile but typical dusty red berry aroma comes through. Palate flavors are similar with expressive juicy fruit, well integrated (light) tannins, and good acidity - all presenting a nicely balanced wine. Not long in mid-palate weight to the finish unfortunately. A lighter elegant body overall in fact. I don't see much improvement happening over time. I believe this is ready to go and further cellaring won't change much. Enjoyable, clean and pure to form Brunello. I expected more, both for the vintage, and the $70 I paid. I suggest pop 'em open.
For some comparison, had the 2020 Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino before this which had similar fruit components but heavier tannins (I believe oak dominated), and the 2017 Bindella Vino Nobile which held its own quite well. Both at half the price of the Barbi.
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Rich flavors of blue and red fruits while acidity keeps the overall profile perky. Still drinks young and light. It’s a fun wine, age will tell if it grows more serious
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Benefited with around 1+ hour of air. On the nose, are cherries, blackberries, cassis, and cedar. Firm tannins, good structure, persistent finish. Medium body. Ripe red and black fruits, with a subtle hint of spice. Lacking in complexity and structure compared to the other 2015’s I had this evening. A good wine for the price, nothing too special but it delivers.
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Lots of sweet red fruit dominates in a pleasant way with some cedar notes and a touch of anise in play as well. It has good acidity, so (as you hope!) this was food-friendly.
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Performed very well, as with last time, there are notes of maturity here with broken down leaves and old leather, alongside razor sharp acidity and regal notes of classical Sangiovese. This is maybe built for medium term pleasure but is a treat and really showed up a 2010 Poggione at the dinner table as having greater depth, complexity and feminine joy.
Note this was the Colombini ‘edition’. Pretty sure these are different to the main bottling but have only seen them offered by one seller and no idea what the difference is.
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Medium vibrant clear crimson ruby with no amber at meniscus - clean aromas of marzipan snd caramel and candied plum/raspberry with some dusty organic dirt on tart acids and creamy velvety tannins that turn drying after s long fruit and floral ride on the palate. Nice showing. A middleweight championship contender that punches well above expectations.
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This really delivered for the price (especially after an hour open). Ripe dark fruit, vanilla, mineral and herbs. Moderate to high acidity but enough fruit to balance. Still young.
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red fruit and oak on the nose, ripe plum on the palate. Mature, Full bodied, quite dry, medium long. Went very well with rich homemade lasagne , a bit dry and acidic on its own for my taste.
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Decanted for a good 4 hours. Cherry with tawny hints. Fabulous bouquet of red fruit and some leather. Quite sharp initially on the palate which faded into soft cooked red fruits and super aftertaste . Lovely wine
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Very enjoyable Brunello. Dark fruit and wild flowers on the nose. Soft dark mature fruit with some sweet fudge in the middle. Some clove and leather adds structure and a slightly tannic finish.
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This is a 91 all day long for me - especially at this price point. It’s a really pretty wine - quite floral on the nose and just very classic Brunello profile and just really tasty and enjoyable. Great acidity and cherry fruit profile, some tar and thyme. It’s not pretending to be very complex - it’s just a really well made brunello. I’ve also got their Reserva and that is excellent
Light aromatics, blue fruits, spices. Medium body, seems fully mature. Meaty, umami, soy. Pretty mild acidity, and not a great deal of depth. Enjoyable wine, not profound.
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Great bouquet of leather, tobacco, oak, plum, cherry and subtle violet on the nose, with an influx of earthy and spicy notes, such as licorice, cinnamon, mushroom and tar!
Paired this beauty with a juicy bacon cheeseburger (and kept the rest of the bottle in my Eto), awesome Friday night! Cheers 🍷
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Ruby in the glass. Profound smell of red berries (cherry in perticular) and more subtile balsamico and oak. Dry, fruity, nice acidety and well balanced tannins. Long exit. Delicious.
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Opened 3 hours. Color is between brick and light ruby red. On the nose: Cherry, some violets and a little clove. On the palate: Cherry, strawberry, cola and cloves. Longish finish. A fair amount of tannins. I took a chance on 1/2 case. Good choice. This is good and good value for money for a real Brunello.
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My experience with this producer is limited, but I did drink their 1998 in 2018 (3/5/2018) and thought it was wonderful. So, trying Barbi’s 2015 from a year that, in general, produced wonderful BdMs, was something to look forward to. I was especially interested in the wines approachability and potential for cellaring.
(Day 1) The 2015 is a lovely wine right out of the gate; it’s complex and, for me, has a wonderful feminine profile in comparison to some BdMs that are overtly tannin at a young age. Initially, I discovered some notes of Sangiovese dust and tannins, but nothing was overblown, nothing was overtly tannic. In fact, the dust seem to settle down, revealing nicely proportioned notes of cherry, licorice/fennel, apple, and a bit of blackberry, cinnamon spice and something floral as a high note. Very lovey and elegant. Some have remarked, that this vintage needs time to fill-out. Yes, I guess that will happen, though I find it nicely detailed right now. Let’s see how it does tomorrow.
(Day 2) Twenty-four hours in a vacuu-vin sealed bottle. The wine remains enjoyable, relying more upon dark fruit notes to carry it forward. Dark cherry, raspberry, meaty, and toast dominate along with an iron and raspberry finish. Absent are the higher spice and floral notes.
Bottom line: the wine was nice both evenings; however, I liked the wine a bit better the first night at about one hour. I enjoyed the wider spectrum on the nose and palate the first night. Will it last 20 years, like the 1998? My best guess is, probably not. Enjoy this BdM right now and cellar for the next seven years.
Consistent with the note of five months ago, this is quite good. That said, I did give it seven hours of air in wide bottom decanter. Red fruited, fresh, with some loam/soil, tobacco, and really fresh floral. Probably best after 2023. recommended
The 2015 Barbi Brunello is medium to deep garnet in color and mostly opaque. Given a couple hours to decant, the wine blossoms to showcase a nose of black cherry, redcurrant, dried strawberry, cedar, tobacco leaf, worn leather, loamy earth, gravel, and savory herbs. Once on the palate, the wine displays notes of plum, juicy blackberry, black raspberry, stemmy tomato paste, blue florals, licorice, tobacco, oregano, espresso, and black pepper. This is medium- to full-bodied with medium acidity, medium (+) grippy tannins, and a long finish.
100% Sangiovese; 14.5% ABV
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I have always enjoyed Barbis and this one is no exception. Seems very traditional, in the nicest way possible, with its firm but approachable tannin and impeccable balance of sweet, fine red fruit and understated notes of leather and clove. This started brilliant and got better from there, developing the gorgeously alluring floral and herbal notes after a few hours. Worth remembering this is often sub-£30, this was a real classic Brunello in its combination of power and prettiness from an estate that always seems to get it right. 93
Highly complex, red-fruited nose. The palate is traditional, acids are good+. That said, this will need some time to add a bit of weight to the middle, and finish. Good, likely to improve, just give it the time it needs. Drink 2023-2033. recommended
Tasted at Benvenuto Brunello NYC. Very light garnet color yet with medium to high tannin and acidity...Lots of structure. Still very tight and minerally with some red berry fruit showing through. Mouthwatering and chewy despite the light body. Definitely needs some time in the cellar.
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3/4/2024 - Lydiksen74 wrote: 93 Points
Drank with T-bone and Tomahawks. Still young but 6 hours in the decanter helped a lot.
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3/4/2024 - rjfix Likes this wine: 91 Points
Amazingly still with a lot of Yanina, structured
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12/1/2023 - matlee89 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Easy drinking. Medium finish. Still tannic so give it a splash decant. Fruit receding. Rustic style.
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11/28/2023 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely mid weight Brunello.
Great fruit, savoury notes and mild acidity.
A super wine!
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9/16/2023 - kjwilli Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs, drank over the subsequent 3 hrs. Bright garnet red with orange rim. A bit closed on the nose for awhile but typical dusty red berry aroma comes through. Palate flavors are similar with expressive juicy fruit, well integrated (light) tannins, and good acidity - all presenting a nicely balanced wine. Not long in mid-palate weight to the finish unfortunately. A lighter elegant body overall in fact. I don't see much improvement happening over time. I believe this is ready to go and further cellaring won't change much. Enjoyable, clean and pure to form Brunello. I expected more, both for the vintage, and the $70 I paid. I suggest pop 'em open.
For some comparison, had the 2020 Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino before this which had similar fruit components but heavier tannins (I believe oak dominated), and the 2017 Bindella Vino Nobile which held its own quite well. Both at half the price of the Barbi.
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8/12/2023 - BURGHen Boy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich flavors of blue and red fruits while acidity keeps the overall profile perky. Still drinks young and light. It’s a fun wine, age will tell if it grows more serious
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7/1/2023 - LEEJV123 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium full body, balanced, round, long.
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6/24/2023 - crumblemore Likes this wine: 90 Points
Benefited with around 1+ hour of air. On the nose, are cherries, blackberries, cassis, and cedar. Firm tannins, good structure, persistent finish. Medium body. Ripe red and black fruits, with a subtle hint of spice. Lacking in complexity and structure compared to the other 2015’s I had this evening. A good wine for the price, nothing too special but it delivers.
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6/7/2023 - chanote44 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice value Brunello. No hard edges and still with plenty of life ahead, so no hurry to drink.
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5/20/2023 - skifree wrote: 91 Points
Lots of sweet red fruit dominates in a pleasant way with some cedar notes and a touch of anise in play as well. It has good acidity, so (as you hope!) this was food-friendly.
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4/7/2023 - Dave D Likes this wine: 92 Points
about 2 hour decant much better
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2/17/2023 - stuartwh wrote:
Dinner at Orzo with Anthony F
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1/15/2023 - Joelene wrote: 91 Points
Too young
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12/9/2022 - sangy wrote:
Wine unloading day
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10/31/2022 - Dj6544 wrote: 93 Points
Performed very well, as with last time, there are notes of maturity here with broken down leaves and old leather, alongside razor sharp acidity and regal notes of classical Sangiovese. This is maybe built for medium term pleasure but is a treat and really showed up a 2010 Poggione at the dinner table as having greater depth, complexity and feminine joy.
Note this was the Colombini ‘edition’. Pretty sure these are different to the main bottling but have only seen them offered by one seller and no idea what the difference is.
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10/2/2022 - asgerG wrote: 89 Points
PnP. Nice Brunello, polished but lacking personality. Drink now-onwards
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8/4/2022 - WilD wrote: 91 Points
Double decanted. Drinking very well now.
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8/2/2022 - Tgood wrote: 93 Points
Medium vibrant clear crimson ruby with no amber at meniscus - clean aromas of marzipan snd caramel and candied plum/raspberry with some dusty organic dirt on tart acids and creamy velvety tannins that turn drying after s long fruit and floral ride on the palate. Nice showing. A middleweight championship contender that punches well above expectations.
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7/31/2022 - vinero Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine tasting with 4 bottles. This could keep up with the other bottles easily. Fresh, sweet, expressive. In a great spot for drinking.
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5/27/2022 - SMJennings61 wrote:
drinking now - very good value Brunello
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5/18/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
This really delivered for the price (especially after an hour open). Ripe dark fruit, vanilla, mineral and herbs. Moderate to high acidity but enough fruit to balance. Still young.
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4/18/2022 - P.Graff Likes this wine: 91 Points
red fruit and oak on the nose, ripe plum on the palate. Mature, Full bodied, quite dry, medium long. Went very well with rich homemade lasagne , a bit dry and acidic on its own for my taste.
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4/16/2022 - Ashdene Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for a good 4 hours. Cherry with tawny hints. Fabulous bouquet of red fruit and some leather. Quite sharp initially on the palate which faded into soft cooked red fruits and super aftertaste . Lovely wine
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3/11/2022 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cherry with bright acidity Young and needs some time in the cellar. Would consider trying again in about eighteen months
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2/4/2022 - pilatus88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very enjoyable Brunello. Dark fruit and wild flowers on the nose. Soft dark mature fruit with some sweet fudge in the middle. Some clove and leather adds structure and a slightly tannic finish.
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12/11/2021 - DonDon wrote: 91 Points
This is a 91 all day long for me - especially at this price point. It’s a really pretty wine - quite floral on the nose and just very classic Brunello profile and just really tasty and enjoyable. Great acidity and cherry fruit profile, some tar and thyme. It’s not pretending to be very complex - it’s just a really well made brunello. I’ve also got their Reserva and that is excellent
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10/26/2021 - robmatic wrote: 88 Points
Weakening with the little bottle age it's got. Tasty, but not destined for a long life. I'd recommend drinking this up sooner rather than later.
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9/18/2021 - Vintuition Does not like this wine: 76 Points
Décevant. Il est peut-être dans une phase poche avant de remonter vers son apogée.
Mais présentement il était très ordinaire. On dirait un rosso à 20$ et encore je suis généreux!
Je préféré l’excellent et moins cher Cantina di Montalcino ou l’excellent Rosso Canalcchio di Sopra
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9/14/2021 - JJB007 Likes this wine: 95 Points
this wine has improved immensely with age
previously rated this as an 89
drink now
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9/12/2021 - HWG99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Powerful one, character is not too strong but nice for happy drinking.
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9/6/2021 - vinero Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid brunello with good fruit and a long, slightly tannic finish. This is in a very good spot for drinking.
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8/11/2021 - mike410 wrote: 88 Points
Very average Brunello.
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6/11/2021 - Dave D Likes this wine: 90 Points
nice wine for low cost
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4/25/2021 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Light aromatics, blue fruits, spices. Medium body, seems fully mature. Meaty, umami, soy. Pretty mild acidity, and not a great deal of depth. Enjoyable wine, not profound.
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2/13/2021 - LeLP Likes this wine:
Great bouquet of leather, tobacco, oak, plum, cherry and subtle violet on the nose, with an influx of earthy and spicy notes, such as licorice, cinnamon, mushroom and tar!
Paired this beauty with a juicy bacon cheeseburger (and kept the rest of the bottle in my Eto), awesome Friday night! Cheers 🍷
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2/13/2021 - GlennO86 wrote: 92 Points
Ruby in the glass. Profound smell of red berries (cherry in perticular) and more subtile balsamico and oak. Dry, fruity, nice acidety and well balanced tannins. Long exit. Delicious.
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1/29/2021 - woodpecka wrote: 90 Points
Tres bon Brunello, bonne acidité, pomme grenade et cerise.
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1/15/2021 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 90 Points
No notes taken, very positive memories though.
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12/11/2020 - Volleyball Likes this wine: 89 Points
Garden variety brunello. Medium bodied. Pleasant, clear varietal flavours but nothing fantastic.
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11/18/2020 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened 3 hours. Color is between brick and light ruby red. On the nose: Cherry, some violets and a little clove. On the palate: Cherry, strawberry, cola and cloves. Longish finish. A fair amount of tannins. I took a chance on 1/2 case. Good choice. This is good and good value for money for a real Brunello.
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8/18/2020 - Steve.330i wrote: 91 Points
Tasted @ Barbi's restaurant in Montalcino
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7/21/2020 - AndreikL Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic BdM aromas, hard not be pleased by it
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7/17/2020 - John Dunlap Likes this wine: 91 Points
My experience with this producer is limited, but I did drink their 1998 in 2018 (3/5/2018) and thought it was wonderful. So, trying Barbi’s 2015 from a year that, in general, produced wonderful BdMs, was something to look forward to. I was especially interested in the wines approachability and potential for cellaring.
(Day 1) The 2015 is a lovely wine right out of the gate; it’s complex and, for me, has a wonderful feminine profile in comparison to some BdMs that are overtly tannin at a young age. Initially, I discovered some notes of Sangiovese dust and tannins, but nothing was overblown, nothing was overtly tannic. In fact, the dust seem to settle down, revealing nicely proportioned notes of cherry, licorice/fennel, apple, and a bit of blackberry, cinnamon spice and something floral as a high note. Very lovey and elegant. Some have remarked, that this vintage needs time to fill-out. Yes, I guess that will happen, though I find it nicely detailed right now. Let’s see how it does tomorrow.
(Day 2) Twenty-four hours in a vacuu-vin sealed bottle. The wine remains enjoyable, relying more upon dark fruit notes to carry it forward. Dark cherry, raspberry, meaty, and toast dominate along with an iron and raspberry finish. Absent are the higher spice and floral notes.
Bottom line: the wine was nice both evenings; however, I liked the wine a bit better the first night at about one hour. I enjoyed the wider spectrum on the nose and palate the first night. Will it last 20 years, like the 1998? My best guess is, probably not. Enjoy this BdM right now and cellar for the next seven years.
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7/16/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Consistent with the note of five months ago, this is quite good. That said, I did give it seven hours of air in wide bottom decanter. Red fruited, fresh, with some loam/soil, tobacco, and really fresh floral. Probably best after 2023. recommended
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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6/4/2020 - bensony Likes this wine: 92 Points
The 2015 Barbi Brunello is medium to deep garnet in color and mostly opaque. Given a couple hours to decant, the wine blossoms to showcase a nose of black cherry, redcurrant, dried strawberry, cedar, tobacco leaf, worn leather, loamy earth, gravel, and savory herbs. Once on the palate, the wine displays notes of plum, juicy blackberry, black raspberry, stemmy tomato paste, blue florals, licorice, tobacco, oregano, espresso, and black pepper. This is medium- to full-bodied with medium acidity, medium (+) grippy tannins, and a long finish.
100% Sangiovese; 14.5% ABV
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5/16/2020 - Dj6544 wrote: 93 Points
I have always enjoyed Barbis and this one is no exception. Seems very traditional, in the nicest way possible, with its firm but approachable tannin and impeccable balance of sweet, fine red fruit and understated notes of leather and clove. This started brilliant and got better from there, developing the gorgeously alluring floral and herbal notes after a few hours. Worth remembering this is often sub-£30, this was a real classic Brunello in its combination of power and prettiness from an estate that always seems to get it right. 93
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2/21/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
2015 Brunello di Montalcino, new releases (Montalcino centro): Benvenuto Brunello 2020, Montalcino
Highly complex, red-fruited nose. The palate is traditional, acids are good+. That said, this will need some time to add a bit of weight to the middle, and finish. Good, likely to improve, just give it the time it needs. Drink 2023-2033. recommended
Full 2015 Brunello report here https://wp.me/p7fulH-27j
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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1/27/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at Benvenuto Brunello NYC. Very light garnet color yet with medium to high tannin and acidity...Lots of structure. Still very tight and minerally with some red berry fruit showing through. Mouthwatering and chewy despite the light body. Definitely needs some time in the cellar.
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