3/6, decanted and immediately served. Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose is vibrant and still quite youthful showing spicy red cherry fruit, touch of black tea. Medium/full bodied, spicy red cherry again, tea, fine but still noticeable tannins, vibrant acidity, decent length slightly grippy finish. Very enjoyable, drinking well but no hurry on evidence of this bottle.
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I last tried this BdM about 5 years ago and wrote that I'd finish the remaining bottles over 24 months. Somehow, I found one bottle remaining in my wine cooler so decided to see how it was holding up.
The cork was in good condition and the aromas were intact. Color was a dark pleasing red, and the palate showed red fruits and faded tannins. There was virtually no mid-palate and the finish wasn't quite satisfying. I would suspect this won't have much life left ahead of it.
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Subsequent notes on this wine from 5 years ago. Dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & dark plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes of violets, some cocoa, spices, anise, herbs, leather, tobacco, minerals & cedar notes in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, cocoa, earthy, minerals & toasty oak. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but at 18 years of age, it is at or close to its peak of development although it should hold here for a few more additional years. I suspect any further development may be nominal. Fill was in lower neck, below capsule; cork was clean & intact. A wonderful, aged Brunello.
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This wine is drinking very well right now. It was open for about an hour and a half before dinner. No decant. However, after being very good, it began to fade somewhat later in the evening. I have 2024 down as the last year in the drink window for this wine.......the fact that it faded into the evening makes me want to drink up my last two bottles by next year.
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This case of wine has tested my patience. I bought it from an online wine website in 2012 because of a high (for the price) rating from RobertParker.com (93) and a drink window that started in 2014. Early bottles were not very good. In 2016, I decided to just let it sit. I believe I did not have another bottle until late 2019 or early 2020. These bottles were coming around and one even lived up to the Parker rating. Then a bottle or two in mid to late 2020 went back to very so-so. This bottle was the best of any. Classic Brunello. The bottle was open for one and a half hours plus. I have three bottles left. I hope they live up to the experience with this bottle.
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Notes after 3 hours decant. Licorice and black cherry pie on the nose. Medium bodied with minor tartness. Baked cherry is the dominant flavor with secondary notes of leather and a mild paprika-based spice rub for pork roast. Long dry finish. This wine is in a very good place now and has a few years left. Impressive for what was then a $35 wine
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Decent on the nose and some minerals and structure at the front end.But otherwise this bottle had lost its fruit and structure with very little on the mid palate. Somewhat disappointing.
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Earlier bottles of this wine were very good. A bottle consumed in the Fall of 2020 was off somewhat. This bottle was almost back to what it had been before. It has classic Brunello notes.
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Consistent with my note 2 months ago. Great Brunello vintage that can still age but not a big fan of Argiano (anymore). A solid Brunello but not more, their 2010 is better.
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PnP’d. Dark red color with orangish rims. Rust, blood, and heat on the nose. Not a lot of fruit; more earthy, smoky, and tannic on the palate. Medium minus finish. For not liking Italian wines, this wasn’t bad. Drink sooner rather than later.
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Prior bottle was 15 months ago and my notes were virtually identical. Red cherry, earth, floral and light leather notes on the nose. Between medium and full bodied with rounded and open red cherry upfront along with a deeper plum note. Mid-body brings in a bit more depth and adds a black cherry note. Lightly tart red and black cherry on the backside along with fine grained tannins, minerals and leather through the finish. As compared to my prior bottle, balance has improved and the fruit seems more expressive and better defined. I went back and forth, but based on how well this wine has come together and the fact that it was a clear step better than the 2006 Nardi Brunello from last night, I felt I had no choice but to bump it up a point. Should be able to hold this level for another 3+ years and I intend to track down some bottles and find out for sure.
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popped and poured. Very laid back, dry, followed by resolved tannins and spice. Not an intense wine. Ready to drink - don't think time is in its favor.
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Pnp - tough to follow an outstanding 06 Poggio Antico. This was a solid BdM but nowhere near the earlier wine in terms of quality. Soft and round "middle of the road" style of Brunello. Not showing the extracted black fruit excesses of the modernist camp, but also missing the delineation and acidity of a classic Sangiovese. Seems at peak but will last for several more years as the structure is still supporting and no oxidative signs. The 2010 Argiano is slightly better in my eyes. Two bottles left in my last case bought on release.
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From a well-cellared bottle, this medium garnet wine was double-decanted for a dinner party, allowing three hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleansed bottle. Effusive of black raspberries, orange zest, dried apricots, red licorice, pipe tobacco and lavender on the nose, it is a medium-bodied red with bright acidity, seamless alcohol (14%) and soft residual tannins. The flavors mirror the aromas, the mid-palate is dense and the finish lingers nicely. This 14-year-old Brunello is drinking beautifully at this point. Comparably-cellared bottles should show well for another 3-4 years. Drink now-2024.
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2/6, very good cork, decanted 1/2 hr. Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose shows spice, quite mellow red fruits, touch of meat. Medium/full bodied, red fruit, spice, soft tannins, touch of savour, fresh acids, quite layered with a savoury red fruited lightly grippy finish. Drinking well.
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The last bottle of this one was terrific. This one backed down a little. I have found the bottles I have had of this wine to be very inconsistent...hard to understand.
Finally......a bottle of this one that lives up to the WA rating. I had a bottle of it a couple of months ago that was the first bottle in the case that was really any good. I am a bit surprised that it has improved as much as it has over just two more months. This wine is in a good drink window right now.....get a bottle out.
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Robe cerise translucide; Nez élégant ou tout semble commencer à se fondre. Beau mélange de cerise à l'eau-de-vie, d'épices & de boîte à cigare. Il y a une petite dimension terreuse intéressante. Nez agréable. Bouche tout aussi agréable que le nez, un peu unidimensionnel cependant, principalement sur la cerise foncée, presque confiture, légère touche d'alcool. La finale est épicée avec une ametume un peu trop appuyée. Son 14 ans paraît peu outre le fait qu'on sent que les saveurs commencent à se fondre entre elle.
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Prior bottle was nearly three and a half years ago and the cellar time has really benefited this wine. Nose shows red cherry, earth, leather and tobacco that added more brightness and more floral notes the longer it was open. Between medium and full bodied with red cherry upfront and plum and soft black cherry through the middle. Pleasantly tart red cherry and red berries on the back along with integrated spices, minerals and light leather notes. Mid-body was noticeably better integrated than before and the fruit was really showing beautifully. I'm quite impressed with how positively this wine has evolved. I go back on forth in my overall take on Argiano and I think what tonight taught me was in good vintages, hold this wine for longer than you think and you will be rewarded. Now wishing I had bought more of this wine as well as some of the 2010. With one bottle left and it showing this well, I may open it as soon as Fall 2020, but this wine will last for at least another 3+ years at this level.
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The fruit has mellowed and this is showing as classic Brunello. Leather, tar, black cherry, cedar, wood spice. Soft and round body, very fine tannins on the finish. Lovely length.
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Medium dark red. Medium intense nose, leather, black cherry and earth. Dry slightly rich black cherry and mushroom flavours with a long dry tannic cherry finish.
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Argiano 2006 Brunello di Montalcino. Light mid-brick; earthy, wood, old world nose; mid-body; balanced; good fruit; some tannins left; long semi-lush and chalky finish.
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Looked like an aged wine when first poured. It regained some life with air. Minimal aromas of musty fruit. Rich cherry, olive and licorice flavors with a clean but shortish finish with tanin. Some life ahead?
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Decanted and allowed air for around 90 minutes. The wine was a medium-dark red in the glass with aromas of red fruits but not a lot else. Body was medium with light acidity, red fruits and very light but slightly drying tannins. There wasn't much happening on the mid-palate, and the finish was medium-short with some slight lingering cherry. Overall, an OK Brunello but not memorable. No idea on lifespan from here. Will drink over next 24 months to be safe.
PS: to be frank, more like a Rosso di Montalcino of a good producer like Valdicava, so QPR not great
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Belle acidité et complexité. Les tannins sont charnus avec un peu de prune et de mures, de l'anis et des herbes. Long et nourri en finale. Très bon mais pas encore dans son sweet spot.
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Initially reductive, later on leather and red fruits, acidity and some chicory. Seems quite evolved, drink now and in the coming 2 years to be on the safe side. Do not see a lot of upward potential
Double decanted in late afternoon and taken to a restaurant for a party. Color is a translucent medium ruby with ever, so slight bricking. The nose has mostly the scent of violets, tart cherries and vanilla. Well structured and pretty balanced with still a good bit of tannin and a medium+ level of acidity. It is very bright and lively in your mouth yet has good depth and body. The palate shows mostly the cherry, vanilla, some spice and a very long finish. This is probably still alive for the better part of a decade ahead and is best with rich food.
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Corked unfortunately. Lightly but sufficiently to put me off. The palate was actually pretty good underneath, some nice deep sweet fruit and very structured still. Pretty tannic so I will leave my last couple a few more years.
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Deep, dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & dark plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes of violets, some cocoa, spices, anise, herbs, some leather, tobacco, minerals & cedar notes in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, cocoa, earthy, minerals & toasty oak. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing & even at 12 years of age, it has the structure & fruit to develop further with continued aging.
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This is a young 2006. The tannins have pulled themselves back a bit, but still dominate. The acid remains sharp. Flavors are barely hitting the secondary phase. The fruit remains tight and tart on entry, but there's some sweetness that hits on the midpalate. The tobacco and leather are becoming mature. It's all quite enjoyable, but it'll be better in five years. Wish I had waited longer.
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Agreed with the previous taster that Argiano represents the middle of the road in terms of Brunello. A clear notch below the '06 Fuligni recently opened, but we still enjoyed this - the tannin and acidic spine reflective of the vintage was very present upon the initial popping of the cork, revealing smoky notes of damp earth, red fruits, and licorice on the nose. We then decanted which proved important, as the wine settled down and came alive 2-3 hours later, revealing additional notes of spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, and anise. It was quite lush in the mouth, at its biggest 1 hour in (mostly strawberry and raspberry fruit), but then with additional time, it yielded a less full-bodied mouthfeel but more nuanced set of flavors, although spice dominated the experience, leading to a long and sappy finish of red fruits, spice, and anise. It's good now, can likely go for many more years, but I'm not convinced it'll necessarily get any better...
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The longer I drink Brunello, the less I can appreciate this solid, forward, middle of the road style Argiano produces year-on-year. This is neither really modern like a Pian del'Orino or Siro Pacenti VV nor is it classic by any means like a Fuligni or a Poggio di Sotto. Still juicy fruit, some leather and tobacco, medium (-) tannins, moderate complexity and length. Even in an excellent year which however requires patience due to its often hard tannins, Argiano manages to produce this forward, easy drinking wine which displays some Brunello features but which is as as approachable and forward now as it was 4 ago or upon release, and which resembles more 2009/2008 than 2006 in characteristics. Well done wine? Absolutely, but just so boring and generic. 89-90
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1/6. Excellent cork. Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose shows spicy red fruit, florals, touch of soil. Medium/full bodied, spicy red cherry fruit, lovely vibrant acidity, firm but fine tannins which seem in balance, savoury, good length finish. Actually comes across as quite traditional and is drinking well.
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Leather, cherry, vanilla, evolution, beautiful acids, first some muff (reduction?) But that went out quickly and got better in the glass, ready to drink.
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Leather, red fruits, evolution, nice acidity, first a little 'dull' (reduction?), but this blew off and the wine showed better after some time in the glass. Drink now and in the next few years
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Pretty good Brunello with a little age on it. Didn't get the overwhelming oak from previous reviews. Was a nice mellow example without being anything exceptional. I can't see it improving much so will drink the other bottle I have within the next year or two..
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Overwrought, sickly oaky and unrelentingly disjointed, this is a logorrheic traitor to the treasured sangiovese family. Give me a £6 bottle of TWS Chianti Rufina any day. An unmitigated disaster.
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My last bottle was 21 months ago (Jan 2015) and while in many ways, this wine has evolved as I'd hoped, the overall presentation is quite similar to that first bottle. Very classic nose of red cherry, leather and tobacco that got more and more aromatic and adding floral notes the longer the wine was open. A bit above medium bodied and when it fully opened up, it was much more resolved, integrated and balanced than my prior bottle. However, it again took almost four hours to get to that point. When first opened, this bottle was just as light and seemingly lacking complexity as my prior bottle and I was honestly worried if it had faded prematurely. It added depth around the two hours mark and showed its best (by far) between 3-4 hours open. Red cherry upfront, backed by plum and deeper blackfruit. Transitions well into the finish where I pick up tobacco, leather and mineral notes as well as integrated spices. Overall, after a few hours open, this wine shows quite well but looks to still have room for modest additional improvement. Don't judge this wine by what you get when you first pop the cork, give it 2-3 hours and it'll be worth the wait. Next bottle for me by mid-2017.
This is the 3rd bottle from a case. The first bottle was awful. The second was better, but disappointing. This bottle was finally decent, but still well below the professional ratings. Decanting did not help much. I have concluded that the recommended windows were not correct. Perhaps, 2016 should have been the first year. However, 2017 is probably a better choice for the first year to drink.
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This bottle has developed some secondary aromas and flavours, earth, mushrooms dark fruit but the tannins have taken over. Questionable future I think.
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Oeil rubis, légèrement brunâtre & translucide; Au nez, très floale au départ avec des notes de cerises foncées & des pointes de tabac. Petit qqchose de sauvage & rustique mais bien intégré à l'ensemble. Qques notes épicées, de cacao sous-bois & réglisse noire. Bouche est dense & le fruité est en avant plan. Structure ample, superbe longeur. Tannins nombreux & fins, assèchent la finale légèrement. Semble commencer à se "fondre"... Les coins sont plus arrondis. Acidité vive, bien balancé. Très bon!
light-mid brick; earthy old world nose; cedar, plum, cherries; mid-body; balanced; tight tannins still; long semi-chewy finish. Life left. w/saltimbocca
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My first bottle....last year.....was absolutely awful. This bottle was trying to become wine. Opened for an hour followed by a one hour decant. Was drinkable, but disappointing in light of the WA rating and the price. It was a little better on the second night. Hopefully, this bottle is setting a trend, and that the third bottle next year will be more pleasing. I am a bit mystified as to why my experience seems to differ so much from other tasters.
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Nice Brunello with mid-weight (not as big as some), balance across the wine attributes and a relatively long delicious finish (with some delicate spice).
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first night, tight & tart with some dust... second night it was velvety and lush; wonderful experience.... next bottle I open I hope to give it at least 2+ hours decanted.
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PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs -nearly opaque dark red, minimal clearing at edge -plum, tobacco -med acidity, med weight and concentration, closed down reticent palate with some dark fruits leather and salinity, med/med+ tannins yet to resolve -primary fruit has faded though still tight, may need more time but not sure if there is enough stuffing to keep it interesting as it further matures
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Translucent ruby core moving to brickish and watery rim. Cedar, cherry, cranberry nose. Fruit leans out with vibrant acidity and mild tannins. Medium finish.
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Cherry, plum and leather on the nose. I can certainly see why some reviewers scored this wine lower. Started out much lighter than I was expecting, had a lot of dry, tannic notes and the balance was lacking. However, after two hours open it began to show properly and after three hours, really began to shine. Very nice red cherry notes, backed with some plum and finishing with light spices, leather and very good mineral notes. The finish was tannin based and quite lengthy. The wine really gained depth, balance and complexity with the additional time open. Has the structure and fruit to last and has a strong probability of further positive evolution. If you open it now, absolutely give it at least two hours.
Oeil rubis foncé; Au nez, il y a des belles notes de boisée, bien agréable & intégré, des petits fruits rouges foncés & des arômes de boîte à cigare. L'ensemble est agréable, intense & harmonieux. Il y a aussi des notes d'épices brunes, du cacao & une petite pointe de poivrons verts grillés qui apporte une agréable fraîcheur. En bouche, l'attaque est d'abord vive, intense, la concentration est bonne. Les tannins sont bien présent, poudreux & assèches légèrement la finale. Les arômes de petits ruits rouges (cerise principalement) sont perceptibles, le boisée est léger & semble se fondre plus à l'ensemble plus le temps passe. La longueur est bonne. Très bon!
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This deep garnet wine was tasted in double-blind fashion, with the bottle kindly provided to our tasting group by J.P. The nose shows intense aromas of pipe tobacco, red currants, vanilla and leather. Medium-bodied and with medium acidity on the palate, it frames red fruit, chocolate and earth flavors with medium-weight, silky-textured tannins. The alcohol (listed as 14%) is nicely integrated and the middle palate is solid. Closing smooth and with medium length, this is a Brunello which is drinking beautifully at this point. It should continue to provide pleasure for another 5-7 years. Drink now-2021.
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Classic Brunello markers on this one! Definitely better after it opens up a little and best the next day. Given the great structure of Brunello's, this wine stored well for up to 4 days by vacuuming out the air and refrigerating at 4 degrees.
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This is developing nicely. Poured into decanter and started drinking. Dark ruby with translucent rim. Earthy nose still with a bit of oak, medium body with mainly red and some dark fruit, floral notes. Initially a bit rough on the mid palate but softens nicely with a bit of air. Elegant, medium finish. Style-wise a middle of the road BdM (not a modern, international style but also not entirely traditional) which is drinking very well now with a 30 min decant, might still improve a bit with 1 or 2 years.
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I am not going to rate this bottle. I found it awful....no taste, no fruit and did not improve on the second night. Decanted for most of 2 hours on the first night. The only thing that came through was an earthy note. Given that many others have liked this wine and posted numerous ratings in the 90-92 range, I have to assume that this was a bad bottle. Will try another one later this year.
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Reviewed before and still good. The amazing thing about a good Brunello is that it is alive and it grows in the air. I loved it the first day....I was amazed the second day. This wine speaks to me in articulate evolving stories of wine over time.....what could be better?
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Nice color with aromas of dust, cranberry and a hint of vanilla. Upon tasting it is lean with great acid and soft texture with flavors of dirt and cherry.
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Decanted for 1 hr prior to drinking and it seemed to need it. Prevelant acidity and tannins, but not in an overpowering way - this can be drunk now but should improve with time. The aromas were difficult to pick apart, with wonderful complexity, and some floral as well. The flavor was a step down from the nose for my tastes, as there was not as much prevalent fruit as I typically prefer (more traditional in style). The finish was of good length but a tad harsh at this stage. However, when paired with chicken parmigiana, this brunello added a great deal of complexity to the meal and was simply wonderful. Excellent food wine with red sauce! (Drank with John & Tiffany)
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Very beautiful bottle of wine. Nose is a bit restrained until it lives in the air. With time it reveals earth, spice, coffee and some fruit. The fruit grows with time and leads on the pallet. Great structure of refined tannins and some acid. Very food friendly, paired with cinghiale and roasted potatos. Just wonderful with a long finish.
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Carafé environ 2 à 3 heures. Belle couleur violet assez foncé. Nez: Petits fruits rouges foncés, un peu de bois & une bonne note épicée. Avec le temps, je décèle de l'anis & une note empyreumatique (caoutchouc). Le nez évolue bien au cours de la soirée. Bouche: Le vin prends une belle expansion à partir du milieu de bouche. Les tanins sont présents mais relativement fins. Les arômes d'épices sont ceux que je perçois le plus. Le vin reste assez longtemps en bouche. Bonne acidité. Je trouve cependant le vin aqueux en attaque. En résumé, très beau vin. Ma première bouteille de Brunello di Montalcino. J'ai été impressioné par la masse du vin en finale. Aussi, belle évolution pendant la soirée (bu sur environ 2h30-3h00). Prochaine bouteille dans 4 ans. Salutations
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Nose of red fruit. Palate of red fruit, olive and soy sauce. Very good wine, but unfortunately still a tad young to drink even with decanting, with high level of tannins coming on at the finish. I have another 5 of these, won't be opening till 2014 earliest.
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Gekarafeerd voor 12 uur. Zeer mooie neus met rood fruit, vlezige en minerale en ook kruidige toetsen. In de mond zit alles al goed in balans: mooie diepte, goede aciditeit, suave mondgevoel waarbij op het einde nog stevig wat tannines (rijpe) opsteken. Zeer goede wijn met veel potentieel - mijn andere 3 flessen blijven nog minstens 3 a 4 jaar onaangeroerd.
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2 heures de carafe et hop...surprenant mais prêt à boire er peu encore resté au repos Frais et élégant...du bon brunello, amateur de grande concentration s'abstenir
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Decabted for 2h and drank over several more. Dark ruby with translucent rim. Earth, dark and red fruit, some oak and vanilla, and a bit of rubber. A body with light to medium fruit, and mediium tannins appear after some time in the decanter. Medium finish. Very good but I did prefer the '04 Argiano at the same age given its fuller and fruitier mid-palate. Among the '06 BdM I have had, this is average as it has on one hand less fruit than the Poggio Antico or Mate, but on the other hand does not have the finesse of the Fuligni in the same vintage.
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Vinturi into a decanter....this wine is rich, smooth, and rustically excellent....starting to get depth of flavor and fruit mixing with terrior....I think its young and has 10 years of great drinking...92 today......it can grow a couple points easily
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Argiano Tasting: An evening with Hans Vinding-Diers (Esquin Wine, Seattle): Hans is a bit of a controversial winemaker - making Burgundian style Sangiovese in Tuscany. Trying to provide some early access to drinkers, he believes 2006 is a vintage of immense structure and so no whole cluster used for 2006 compare to the 30% used in 2007. Bing cherry, leather and savory flavors - beef jus. Quite fresh and well structured at the same. Good acid and tannin structure.
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Very youthful with notes of blood plum, cherries, tar and balsamic. Fresh and lively in the mouth with flavours that are clean and direct and real earthy structure lurking just below the flesh. Needs time.
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Maturing disc. On opening a pretty disjointed nose - notable torrefaction & rubber which, although not totally dominant, were still unpleasant. But with about an hour of air that subsided and sour cherry and floral notes ended up more prominent. With time, this thankfully did a 180 and really smoothed out, ending up as a fairly elegant if not jaw-dropping example.
3+
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Light brick red visual expose presenting aromatic characteristics of dark cherries, clove and cedar. Complex wine with good acid, fruit and refined tannins. Spice elegance on the finish. Should cellar for over a decade given the acid and tannin structure.
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woody, tobacco, leather, toasted oak, black cherry. fine grain grippy tannins. structured. needs time for wood/oak integration. good qpr - best of the 06's i've tasted from very large producers.
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woodsy on opening nose, not a powerful nose, tannins softened after a little over an hour. Disappointed. not ruby but had some oxidation brownishness. Will decant next bottle and hope I like more. Had with grilled rib-eye. good with the steak.
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A bunch of Brunellos: Very nice wine, but for me, the most disappointing showing. Ruby in color, slight purple hues. Its got a pretty, feminine nose with cherries, cherry blossoms and cherry powdered mix. Medium bodied, the thinnest wine on the table. Nice balance and it did add weight thru the evening. Firm tannins. Very good wine, but lagging and one of the priciest on the table.
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Dark, dusty black cherry fruit. Dill and a bit of spice. Medium bodied. Raw, young palate. Gripping tannins dominate the finish. Some nice elements, but needs time to come together.
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A bargain for the price... People who just started to discover Brunello's should watch this wine. Incredible nose, extreme elegance, balance and a long finish. Probably one of the best Q/P you can find in the region. Will hold for at least another 5 years in the bottle..
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Very closed on the nose - some subtle aromas of classy red cherries; palate again quite tight but has lovely texture, weight and mouthfeel. A very embyonic wine but with lovely potential to cellar well. Leave for at least 5-7 years.
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- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of tobacco, blackberry, black currant, cherry and mushroom. It's balanced and has flavours of black olive, blackberry, cherry, fig and cedar with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Wonderful earthy entry in this amazing year. Opened and drank several with friends at a tasting and was impressed with the beautiful color and nose. Constantly changing with amazing complexity. Very young, wonder how it will do decanted or in a few years. Very special brunello!
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3/18/2024 - Paul D wrote: 90 Points
3/6, decanted and immediately served.
Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose is vibrant and still quite youthful showing spicy red cherry fruit, touch of black tea. Medium/full bodied, spicy red cherry again, tea, fine but still noticeable tannins, vibrant acidity, decent length slightly grippy finish. Very enjoyable, drinking well but no hurry on evidence of this bottle.
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2/14/2024 - ChristP wrote: 87 Points
I last tried this BdM about 5 years ago and wrote that I'd finish the remaining bottles over 24 months. Somehow, I found one bottle remaining in my wine cooler so decided to see how it was holding up.
The cork was in good condition and the aromas were intact. Color was a dark pleasing red, and the palate showed red fruits and faded tannins. There was virtually no mid-palate and the finish wasn't quite satisfying. I would suspect this won't have much life left ahead of it.
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1/4/2024 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Subsequent notes on this wine from 5 years ago. Dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & dark plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes of violets, some cocoa, spices, anise, herbs, leather, tobacco, minerals & cedar notes in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, cocoa, earthy, minerals & toasty oak. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but at 18 years of age, it is at or close to its peak of development although it should hold here for a few more additional years. I suspect any further development may be nominal. Fill was in lower neck, below capsule; cork was clean & intact. A wonderful, aged Brunello.
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11/19/2023 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is drinking very well right now. It was open for about an hour and a half before dinner. No decant. However, after being very good, it began to fade somewhat later in the evening. I have 2024 down as the last year in the drink window for this wine.......the fact that it faded into the evening makes me want to drink up my last two bottles by next year.
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11/17/2022 - gtonn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Musty leaves, Tobacco, last night's cigar!
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11/13/2022 - spnm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Gives what it has to give for the price, but nothing more. Full mature.
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9/27/2022 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 93 Points
This case of wine has tested my patience. I bought it from an online wine website in 2012 because of a high (for the price) rating from RobertParker.com (93) and a drink window that started in 2014. Early bottles were not very good. In 2016, I decided to just let it sit. I believe I did not have another bottle until late 2019 or early 2020. These bottles were coming around and one even lived up to the Parker rating. Then a bottle or two in mid to late 2020 went back to very so-so. This bottle was the best of any. Classic Brunello. The bottle was open for one and a half hours plus. I have three bottles left. I hope they live up to the experience with this bottle.
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11/23/2021 - pmk wrote: 89 Points
Relatively dry and light for a brunello, mild tannins - perfect pairing with a fish and tomato sauce over rice dinner.
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10/14/2021 - StraightnoChaser Likes this wine: 92 Points
Notes after 3 hours decant.
Licorice and black cherry pie on the nose.
Medium bodied with minor tartness.
Baked cherry is the dominant flavor with secondary notes of leather and a mild paprika-based spice rub for pork roast.
Long dry finish.
This wine is in a very good place now and has a few years left.
Impressive for what was then a $35 wine
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9/20/2021 - jterry wrote: 87 Points
Decent on the nose and some minerals and structure at the front end.But otherwise this bottle had lost its fruit and structure with very little on the mid palate. Somewhat disappointing.
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9/7/2021 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Earlier bottles of this wine were very good. A bottle consumed in the Fall of 2020 was off somewhat. This bottle was almost back to what it had been before. It has classic Brunello notes.
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8/8/2021 - pavel_p wrote:
Consistent with my note 2 months ago. Great Brunello vintage that can still age but not a big fan of Argiano (anymore). A solid Brunello but not more, their 2010 is better.
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7/30/2021 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP’d. Dark red color with orangish rims. Rust, blood, and heat on the nose. Not a lot of fruit; more earthy, smoky, and tannic on the palate. Medium minus finish. For not liking Italian wines, this wasn’t bad. Drink sooner rather than later.
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7/4/2021 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was 15 months ago and my notes were virtually identical. Red cherry, earth, floral and light leather notes on the nose. Between medium and full bodied with rounded and open red cherry upfront along with a deeper plum note. Mid-body brings in a bit more depth and adds a black cherry note. Lightly tart red and black cherry on the backside along with fine grained tannins, minerals and leather through the finish. As compared to my prior bottle, balance has improved and the fruit seems more expressive and better defined. I went back and forth, but based on how well this wine has come together and the fact that it was a clear step better than the 2006 Nardi Brunello from last night, I felt I had no choice but to bump it up a point. Should be able to hold this level for another 3+ years and I intend to track down some bottles and find out for sure.
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6/7/2021 - pmk wrote: 90 Points
popped and poured. Very laid back, dry, followed by resolved tannins and spice. Not an intense wine. Ready to drink - don't think time is in its favor.
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6/6/2021 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pnp - tough to follow an outstanding 06 Poggio Antico. This was a solid BdM but nowhere near the earlier wine in terms of quality. Soft and round "middle of the road" style of Brunello. Not showing the extracted black fruit excesses of the modernist camp, but also missing the delineation and acidity of a classic Sangiovese. Seems at peak but will last for several more years as the structure is still supporting and no oxidative signs. The 2010 Argiano is slightly better in my eyes. Two bottles left in my last case bought on release.
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11/29/2020 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a well-cellared bottle, this medium garnet wine was double-decanted for a dinner party, allowing three hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleansed bottle. Effusive of black raspberries, orange zest, dried apricots, red licorice, pipe tobacco and lavender on the nose, it is a medium-bodied red with bright acidity, seamless alcohol (14%) and soft residual tannins. The flavors mirror the aromas, the mid-palate is dense and the finish lingers nicely. This 14-year-old Brunello is drinking beautifully at this point. Comparably-cellared bottles should show well for another 3-4 years. Drink now-2024.
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11/19/2020 - WineGuyFL wrote: 91 Points
This wine has slipped back to being just so-so.
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7/31/2020 - Paul D wrote: 90 Points
2/6, very good cork, decanted 1/2 hr.
Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose shows spice, quite mellow red fruits, touch of meat. Medium/full bodied, red fruit, spice, soft tannins, touch of savour, fresh acids, quite layered with a savoury red fruited lightly grippy finish. Drinking well.
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6/25/2020 - WineGuyFL wrote: 92 Points
The last bottle of this one was terrific. This one backed down a little. I have found the bottles I have had of this wine to be very inconsistent...hard to understand.
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5/19/2020 - WineGuyFL wrote: 93 Points
Finally......a bottle of this one that lives up to the WA rating. I had a bottle of it a couple of months ago that was the first bottle in the case that was really any good. I am a bit surprised that it has improved as much as it has over just two more months. This wine is in a good drink window right now.....get a bottle out.
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5/10/2020 - sidaga wrote: 89 Points
Robe cerise translucide;
Nez élégant ou tout semble commencer à se fondre. Beau mélange de cerise à l'eau-de-vie, d'épices & de boîte à cigare. Il y a une petite dimension terreuse intéressante. Nez agréable.
Bouche tout aussi agréable que le nez, un peu unidimensionnel cependant, principalement sur la cerise foncée, presque confiture, légère touche d'alcool. La finale est épicée avec une ametume un peu trop appuyée. Son 14 ans paraît peu outre le fait qu'on sent que les saveurs commencent à se fondre entre elle.
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4/4/2020 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Prior bottle was nearly three and a half years ago and the cellar time has really benefited this wine. Nose shows red cherry, earth, leather and tobacco that added more brightness and more floral notes the longer it was open. Between medium and full bodied with red cherry upfront and plum and soft black cherry through the middle. Pleasantly tart red cherry and red berries on the back along with integrated spices, minerals and light leather notes. Mid-body was noticeably better integrated than before and the fruit was really showing beautifully. I'm quite impressed with how positively this wine has evolved. I go back on forth in my overall take on Argiano and I think what tonight taught me was in good vintages, hold this wine for longer than you think and you will be rewarded. Now wishing I had bought more of this wine as well as some of the 2010. With one bottle left and it showing this well, I may open it as soon as Fall 2020, but this wine will last for at least another 3+ years at this level.
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3/30/2020 - pmk wrote: 93 Points
ready now - delicious
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3/30/2020 - WineGuyFL wrote: 91 Points
My first two bottles were not good at all. The third bottle was so-so. This bottle was a little better.....OK, but still not up to what I expected.
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3/7/2020 - Crispin wrote: 93 Points
Fabulous. So tasty. Fruit. Bit and bold. Tannins lovely and balanced with fruit and beauty
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2/7/2020 - RDB Wine wrote: 50 Points
From Bin South 4. Hint of cherry on nose. Medium purple. Burst of chaulk stone and some light cherry. 4/10. Past prime.
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10/26/2019 - dpolivy wrote:
The fruit has mellowed and this is showing as classic Brunello. Leather, tar, black cherry, cedar, wood spice. Soft and round body, very fine tannins on the finish. Lovely length.
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9/17/2019 - Vinogan(s) wrote: 90 Points
Drink now
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7/12/2019 - Crispin wrote: 91 Points
Thought this might be too young. But very fine. Resolved tannins. Good fruit.
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7/2/2019 - David J Cooper wrote: 91 Points
Medium dark red. Medium intense nose, leather, black cherry and earth. Dry slightly rich black cherry and mushroom flavours with a long dry tannic cherry finish.
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5/25/2019 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 90 Points
Argiano 2006 Brunello di Montalcino. Light mid-brick; earthy, wood, old world nose; mid-body; balanced; good fruit; some tannins left; long semi-lush and chalky finish.
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5/3/2019 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Looked like an aged wine when first poured. It regained some life with air. Minimal aromas of musty fruit. Rich cherry, olive and licorice flavors with a clean but shortish finish with tanin. Some life ahead?
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4/22/2019 - ChristP Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted and allowed air for around 90 minutes. The wine was a medium-dark red in the glass with aromas of red fruits but not a lot else. Body was medium with light acidity, red fruits and very light but slightly drying tannins. There wasn't much happening on the mid-palate, and the finish was medium-short with some slight lingering cherry. Overall, an OK Brunello but not memorable. No idea on lifespan from here. Will drink over next 24 months to be safe.
PS: to be frank, more like a Rosso di Montalcino of a good producer like Valdicava, so QPR not great
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4/16/2019 - Vinogan(s) wrote: 90 Points
Again, good showing - see my previous notes
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3/26/2019 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Belle acidité et complexité.
Les tannins sont charnus avec un peu de prune et de mures,
de l'anis et des herbes.
Long et nourri en finale. Très bon mais pas encore
dans son sweet spot.
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1/26/2019 - Janstan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Leather, tobacco & dark berry tobacco ash. Went well with pot roast
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1/3/2019 - Vinogan(s) wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous note
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1/3/2019 - Vinogan(s) wrote: 90 Points
Initially reductive, later on leather and red fruits, acidity and some chicory. Seems quite evolved, drink now and in the coming 2 years to be on the safe side. Do not see a lot of upward potential
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12/28/2018 - Kris G wrote: 90 Points
Displaying a firm acidity, rustic, orangeskin, tertiary fruits, interwoven, missing some complexity.
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12/19/2018 - broadband013 wrote: 91 Points
Très agréable à la fois tannique et fruité
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12/12/2018 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted in late afternoon and taken to a restaurant for a party. Color is a translucent medium ruby with ever, so slight bricking. The nose has mostly the scent of violets, tart cherries and vanilla. Well structured and pretty balanced with still a good bit of tannin and a medium+ level of acidity. It is very bright and lively in your mouth yet has good depth and body. The palate shows mostly the cherry, vanilla, some spice and a very long finish. This is probably still alive for the better part of a decade ahead and is best with rich food.
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10/13/2018 - Crispin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stunning. Rich and complex. Dark, tannins took a while to open up but reawarded with deep and luscious wine. Years ahead of it too.
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9/29/2018 - MattGeneve wrote: flawed
Corked unfortunately. Lightly but sufficiently to put me off. The palate was actually pretty good underneath, some nice deep sweet fruit and very structured still. Pretty tannic so I will leave my last couple a few more years.
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7/7/2018 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & dark plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes of violets, some cocoa, spices, anise, herbs, some leather, tobacco, minerals & cedar notes in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, cocoa, earthy, minerals & toasty oak. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing & even at 12 years of age, it has the structure & fruit to develop further with continued aging.
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7/6/2018 - goodvitis.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a young 2006. The tannins have pulled themselves back a bit, but still dominate. The acid remains sharp. Flavors are barely hitting the secondary phase. The fruit remains tight and tart on entry, but there's some sweetness that hits on the midpalate. The tobacco and leather are becoming mature. It's all quite enjoyable, but it'll be better in five years. Wish I had waited longer.
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6/24/2018 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoyed this more than the last bottle. A 90min slow ox might have helped as the wine was showing clean raspberry and other red fruit. Very pleasant
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3/31/2018 - Apollo5710 wrote: 92 Points
Agreed with the previous taster that Argiano represents the middle of the road in terms of Brunello. A clear notch below the '06 Fuligni recently opened, but we still enjoyed this - the tannin and acidic spine reflective of the vintage was very present upon the initial popping of the cork, revealing smoky notes of damp earth, red fruits, and licorice on the nose. We then decanted which proved important, as the wine settled down and came alive 2-3 hours later, revealing additional notes of spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, and anise. It was quite lush in the mouth, at its biggest 1 hour in (mostly strawberry and raspberry fruit), but then with additional time, it yielded a less full-bodied mouthfeel but more nuanced set of flavors, although spice dominated the experience, leading to a long and sappy finish of red fruits, spice, and anise. It's good now, can likely go for many more years, but I'm not convinced it'll necessarily get any better...
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3/28/2018 - pavel_p wrote: 90 Points
The longer I drink Brunello, the less I can appreciate this solid, forward, middle of the road style Argiano produces year-on-year. This is neither really modern like a Pian del'Orino or Siro Pacenti VV nor is it classic by any means like a Fuligni or a Poggio di Sotto. Still juicy fruit, some leather and tobacco, medium (-) tannins, moderate complexity and length. Even in an excellent year which however requires patience due to its often hard tannins, Argiano manages to produce this forward, easy drinking wine which displays some Brunello features but which is as as approachable and forward now as it was 4 ago or upon release, and which resembles more 2009/2008 than 2006 in characteristics. Well done wine? Absolutely, but just so boring and generic. 89-90
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9/11/2017 - Janstan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Leather and cherry
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8/25/2017 - Paul D Likes this wine: 90 Points
1/6. Excellent cork. Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose shows spicy red fruit, florals, touch of soil. Medium/full bodied, spicy red cherry fruit, lovely vibrant acidity, firm but fine tannins which seem in balance, savoury, good length finish. Actually comes across as quite traditional and is drinking well.
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8/15/2017 - The taste athlete wrote: 91 Points
Leather, cherry, vanilla, evolution, beautiful acids, first some muff (reduction?) But that went out quickly and got better in the glass, ready to drink.
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8/9/2017 - Vinogan(s) wrote: 91 Points
Leather, red fruits, evolution, nice acidity, first a little 'dull' (reduction?), but this blew off and the wine showed better after some time in the glass. Drink now and in the next few years
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8/8/2017 - Kris G Likes this wine: 91 Points
showing already some evolution, prominent accidity, leather, coffee, shows younger in the mouth than in the nose
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6/25/2017 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pale red, amber edges; floral, mushroom, earthy nose; mid-body; decent tannins; a little rough; decent fruit and flavor; earthy finish. w/veal
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5/5/2017 - Alexroy wrote: 91 Points
Bright, sharp cherries, tart, powerful, firm tannins. Medium plus finish.
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4/16/2017 - DFBW Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pretty good Brunello with a little age on it. Didn't get the overwhelming oak from previous reviews. Was a nice mellow example without being anything exceptional. I can't see it improving much so will drink the other bottle I have within the next year or two..
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3/1/2017 - bear wrote: 87 Points
Meh! Nothing wrong with it, but nothing to write home about, either. Just a drinkable, forgettable wine. Not what I would ever expect from a Brunello.
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2/14/2017 - Will Devize wrote: 80 Points
Overwrought, sickly oaky and unrelentingly disjointed, this is a logorrheic traitor to the treasured sangiovese family. Give me a £6 bottle of TWS Chianti Rufina any day. An unmitigated disaster.
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10/30/2016 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last bottle was 21 months ago (Jan 2015) and while in many ways, this wine has evolved as I'd hoped, the overall presentation is quite similar to that first bottle. Very classic nose of red cherry, leather and tobacco that got more and more aromatic and adding floral notes the longer the wine was open. A bit above medium bodied and when it fully opened up, it was much more resolved, integrated and balanced than my prior bottle. However, it again took almost four hours to get to that point. When first opened, this bottle was just as light and seemingly lacking complexity as my prior bottle and I was honestly worried if it had faded prematurely. It added depth around the two hours mark and showed its best (by far) between 3-4 hours open. Red cherry upfront, backed by plum and deeper blackfruit. Transitions well into the finish where I pick up tobacco, leather and mineral notes as well as integrated spices. Overall, after a few hours open, this wine shows quite well but looks to still have room for modest additional improvement. Don't judge this wine by what you get when you first pop the cork, give it 2-3 hours and it'll be worth the wait. Next bottle for me by mid-2017.
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8/19/2016 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is the 3rd bottle from a case. The first bottle was awful. The second was better, but disappointing. This bottle was finally decent, but still well below the professional ratings. Decanting did not help much. I have concluded that the recommended windows were not correct. Perhaps, 2016 should have been the first year. However, 2017 is probably a better choice for the first year to drink.
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4/2/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 88 Points
This bottle has developed some secondary aromas and flavours, earth, mushrooms dark fruit but the tannins have taken over. Questionable future I think.
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3/24/2016 - sidaga Likes this wine: 91 Points
Oeil rubis, légèrement brunâtre & translucide;
Au nez, très floale au départ avec des notes de cerises foncées & des pointes de tabac. Petit qqchose de sauvage & rustique mais bien intégré à l'ensemble. Qques notes épicées, de cacao sous-bois & réglisse noire.
Bouche est dense & le fruité est en avant plan. Structure ample, superbe longeur. Tannins nombreux & fins, assèchent la finale légèrement. Semble commencer à se "fondre"... Les coins sont plus arrondis. Acidité vive, bien balancé. Très bon!
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2/27/2016 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 90 Points
light-mid brick; earthy old world nose; cedar, plum, cherries; mid-body; balanced; tight tannins still; long semi-chewy finish. Life left. w/saltimbocca
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2/14/2016 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pale ruby appearance.
Pronounced aroma- red fruits (cherry, raspberry), floral notes- violet and rose, balsamic notes, menthol, herbs.
Medium body , high acid and medium tannin. Lots of red fruit, plum and herbs on the palate. The finish is definitely long.
Drink now, but this one will definitely improve in the cellar.
Overall a great wine!
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12/21/2015 - WineGuyFL wrote: 88 Points
My first bottle....last year.....was absolutely awful. This bottle was trying to become wine. Opened for an hour followed by a one hour decant. Was drinkable, but disappointing in light of the WA rating and the price. It was a little better on the second night. Hopefully, this bottle is setting a trend, and that the third bottle next year will be more pleasing. I am a bit mystified as to why my experience seems to differ so much from other tasters.
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11/28/2015 - Val D'Orcia wrote: 90 Points
Nice Brunello with mid-weight (not as big as some), balance across the wine attributes and a relatively long delicious finish (with some delicate spice).
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8/28/2015 - Roger Patterson Likes this wine: 85 Points
Lovely nose, but a little watery and tannic on the palate
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7/16/2015 - gf2182 Likes this wine: 92 Points
first night, tight & tart with some dust... second night it was velvety and lush; wonderful experience.... next bottle I open I hope to give it at least 2+ hours decanted.
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7/6/2015 - Janstan Likes this wine: 86 Points
light Cherry
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3/28/2015 - similan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic, but it really needs time to open. After one hour still a little tight. After 2 hours, unctious. Perfect with the aged ribsteak
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3/3/2015 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs
-nearly opaque dark red, minimal clearing at edge
-plum, tobacco
-med acidity, med weight and concentration, closed down reticent palate with some dark fruits leather and salinity, med/med+ tannins yet to resolve
-primary fruit has faded though still tight, may need more time but not sure if there is enough stuffing to keep it interesting as it further matures
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2/28/2015 - Voorn@mac.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Typical Brunello taste. Can be kept for à few more years.
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2/7/2015 - tb76 wrote: 89 Points
Translucent ruby core moving to brickish and watery rim. Cedar, cherry, cranberry nose. Fruit leans out with vibrant acidity and mild tannins. Medium finish.
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1/18/2015 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cherry, plum and leather on the nose. I can certainly see why some reviewers scored this wine lower. Started out much lighter than I was expecting, had a lot of dry, tannic notes and the balance was lacking. However, after two hours open it began to show properly and after three hours, really began to shine. Very nice red cherry notes, backed with some plum and finishing with light spices, leather and very good mineral notes. The finish was tannin based and quite lengthy. The wine really gained depth, balance and complexity with the additional time open. Has the structure and fruit to last and has a strong probability of further positive evolution. If you open it now, absolutely give it at least two hours.
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12/30/2014 - Crispin wrote: 90 Points
Still very dry tanins. Needs a bit more time to be fully balanced. Quite strong and big fruit.
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10/26/2014 - sidaga Likes this wine: 91 Points
Oeil rubis foncé;
Au nez, il y a des belles notes de boisée, bien agréable & intégré, des petits fruits rouges foncés & des arômes de boîte à cigare. L'ensemble est agréable, intense & harmonieux. Il y a aussi des notes d'épices brunes, du cacao & une petite pointe de poivrons verts grillés qui apporte une agréable fraîcheur.
En bouche, l'attaque est d'abord vive, intense, la concentration est bonne. Les tannins sont bien présent, poudreux & assèches légèrement la finale. Les arômes de petits ruits rouges (cerise principalement) sont perceptibles, le boisée est léger & semble se fondre plus à l'ensemble plus le temps passe. La longueur est bonne. Très bon!
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10/23/2014 - Fantasio wrote: 89 Points
Long, acide, enveloppant, vert café et tannique. Rustique serait sûrement ce qui qualifierait le mieux ce vin.
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9/5/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 92 Points
This deep garnet wine was tasted in double-blind fashion, with the bottle kindly provided to our tasting group by J.P. The nose shows intense aromas of pipe tobacco, red currants, vanilla and leather. Medium-bodied and with medium acidity on the palate, it frames red fruit, chocolate and earth flavors with medium-weight, silky-textured tannins. The alcohol (listed as 14%) is nicely integrated and the middle palate is solid. Closing smooth and with medium length, this is a Brunello which is drinking beautifully at this point. It should continue to provide pleasure for another 5-7 years. Drink now-2021.
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8/6/2014 - incepta Likes this wine: 89 Points
Earthy aroma. Medium weight, heavy berry flavors, almost nonexistent tannins, decent spice on finish.
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5/23/2014 - RobSpectator wrote: 91 Points
Classic Brunello markers on this one!
Definitely better after it opens up a little and best the next day. Given the great structure of Brunello's, this wine stored well for up to 4 days by vacuuming out the air and refrigerating at 4 degrees.
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3/8/2014 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is developing nicely. Poured into decanter and started drinking. Dark ruby with translucent rim. Earthy nose still with a bit of oak, medium body with mainly red and some dark fruit, floral notes. Initially a bit rough on the mid palate but softens nicely with a bit of air. Elegant, medium finish.
Style-wise a middle of the road BdM (not a modern, international style but also not entirely traditional) which is drinking very well now with a 30 min decant, might still improve a bit with 1 or 2 years.
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1/23/2014 - WineGuyFL wrote:
I am not going to rate this bottle. I found it awful....no taste, no fruit and did not improve on the second night. Decanted for most of 2 hours on the first night. The only thing that came through was an earthy note. Given that many others have liked this wine and posted numerous ratings in the 90-92 range, I have to assume that this was a bad bottle. Will try another one later this year.
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1/1/2014 - Janstan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Cherry, needs food
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12/11/2013 - similan wrote: 91 Points
Almost too drinkable with kurobota ham from snake river farms. let breath in glass for an hour. about right
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9/5/2013 - Sour Grapes wrote: 91 Points
Needs a little time to open. An earthy wine with good, but not overpowering, tannins.
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8/11/2013 - Sgift wrote: 92 Points
Reviewed before and still good. The amazing thing about a good Brunello is that it is alive and it grows in the air. I loved it the first day....I was amazed the second day. This wine speaks to me in articulate evolving stories of wine over time.....what could be better?
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6/25/2013 - Foodievines Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice color with aromas of dust, cranberry and a hint of vanilla. Upon tasting it is lean with great acid and soft texture with flavors of dirt and cherry.
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5/17/2013 - David J Cooper wrote: 89 Points
Medium red. Tight at first, earth, black cherry, herbs. Delicious cherry flavours with a bit of oak on the finish. Balanced dry finish.
I hope it develops some complexity.
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3/14/2013 - timdrex wrote: 90 Points
Had at Sassi in Scotsdale. Firm tannins, light to medium fruit, some earth and mimerality.
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3/8/2013 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hr prior to drinking and it seemed to need it. Prevelant acidity and tannins, but not in an overpowering way - this can be drunk now but should improve with time.
The aromas were difficult to pick apart, with wonderful complexity, and some floral as well. The flavor was a step down from the nose for my tastes, as there was not as much prevalent fruit as I typically prefer (more traditional in style). The finish was of good length but a tad harsh at this stage.
However, when paired with chicken parmigiana, this brunello added a great deal of complexity to the meal and was simply wonderful. Excellent food wine with red sauce! (Drank with John & Tiffany)
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1/7/2013 - Sgift wrote: 92 Points
Very beautiful bottle of wine. Nose is a bit restrained until it lives in the air. With time it reveals earth, spice, coffee and some fruit. The fruit grows with time and leads on the pallet.
Great structure of refined tannins and some acid. Very food friendly, paired with cinghiale and roasted potatos. Just wonderful with a long finish.
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12/31/2012 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
Drank at Franco's
Nose of earth, red fruit and spice. Nice smooth palate with a medium length
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12/10/2012 - sidaga Likes this wine: 88 Points
Carafé environ 2 à 3 heures.
Belle couleur violet assez foncé.
Nez: Petits fruits rouges foncés, un peu de bois & une bonne note épicée. Avec le temps, je décèle de l'anis & une note empyreumatique (caoutchouc). Le nez évolue bien au cours de la soirée.
Bouche: Le vin prends une belle expansion à partir du milieu de bouche. Les tanins sont présents mais relativement fins. Les arômes d'épices sont ceux que je perçois le plus. Le vin reste assez longtemps en bouche. Bonne acidité. Je trouve cependant le vin aqueux en attaque.
En résumé, très beau vin. Ma première bouteille de Brunello di Montalcino. J'ai été impressioné par la masse du vin en finale. Aussi, belle évolution pendant la soirée (bu sur environ 2h30-3h00). Prochaine bouteille dans 4 ans.
Salutations
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11/24/2012 - nonexpert Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of red fruit. Palate of red fruit, olive and soy sauce. Very good wine, but unfortunately still a tad young to drink even with decanting, with high level of tannins coming on at the finish. I have another 5 of these, won't be opening till 2014 earliest.
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11/22/2012 - NCO wrote:
Gekarafeerd voor 12 uur. Zeer mooie neus met rood fruit, vlezige en minerale en ook kruidige toetsen. In de mond zit alles al goed in balans: mooie diepte, goede aciditeit, suave mondgevoel waarbij op het einde nog stevig wat tannines (rijpe) opsteken. Zeer goede wijn met veel potentieel - mijn andere 3 flessen blijven nog minstens 3 a 4 jaar onaangeroerd.
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10/20/2012 - bigjoe wrote: 90 Points
2 heures de carafe et hop...surprenant mais prêt à boire er peu encore resté au repos
Frais et élégant...du bon brunello, amateur de grande concentration s'abstenir
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10/19/2012 - Zellao wrote: 89 Points
Nuts and raisins flavors. Great balance in the body. 24 months in French Oak. Smoothed tannins.
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8/19/2012 - pavel_p wrote: 91 Points
Decabted for 2h and drank over several more. Dark ruby with translucent rim. Earth, dark and red fruit, some oak and vanilla, and a bit of rubber. A body with light to medium fruit, and mediium tannins appear after some time in the decanter. Medium finish. Very good but I did prefer the '04 Argiano at the same age given its fuller and fruitier mid-palate. Among the '06 BdM I have had, this is average as it has on one hand less fruit than the Poggio Antico or Mate, but on the other hand does not have the finesse of the Fuligni in the same vintage.
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8/3/2012 - CCestaro wrote: 92 Points
Vinturi into a decanter....this wine is rich, smooth, and rustically excellent....starting to get depth of flavor and fruit mixing with terrior....I think its young and has 10 years of great drinking...92 today......it can grow a couple points easily
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7/18/2012 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Argiano Tasting: An evening with Hans Vinding-Diers (Esquin Wine, Seattle): Hans is a bit of a controversial winemaker - making Burgundian style Sangiovese in Tuscany. Trying to provide some early access to drinkers, he believes 2006 is a vintage of immense structure and so no whole cluster used for 2006 compare to the 30% used in 2007.
Bing cherry, leather and savory flavors - beef jus. Quite fresh and well structured at the same. Good acid and tannin structure.
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7/14/2012 - Janstan wrote: 89 Points
Very nice, would go well with Red Sauce but was vwry good with grilled NY strip. At or near peak I think.
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7/10/2012 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Very youthful with notes of blood plum, cherries, tar and balsamic. Fresh and lively in the mouth with flavours that are clean and direct and real earthy structure lurking just below the flesh. Needs time.
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5/12/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 89 Points
Maturing disc. On opening a pretty disjointed nose - notable torrefaction & rubber which, although not totally dominant, were still unpleasant. But with about an hour of air that subsided and sour cherry and floral notes ended up more prominent. With time, this thankfully did a 180 and really smoothed out, ending up as a fairly elegant if not jaw-dropping example.
3+
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5/10/2012 - RobSpectator Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light brick red visual expose presenting aromatic characteristics of dark cherries, clove and cedar. Complex wine with good acid, fruit and refined tannins. Spice elegance on the finish. Should cellar for over a decade given the acid and tannin structure.
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5/9/2012 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
woody, tobacco, leather, toasted oak, black cherry. fine grain grippy tannins. structured. needs time for wood/oak integration. good qpr - best of the 06's i've tasted from very large producers.
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3/27/2012 - Janstan wrote: 87 Points
woodsy on opening nose, not a powerful nose, tannins softened after a little over an hour. Disappointed. not ruby but had some oxidation brownishness. Will decant next bottle and hope I like more. Had with grilled rib-eye. good with the steak.
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3/10/2012 - AlexGarner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stars of the Melbourne Wine and Food Festival (Prince Wine Store - Bank Street): Ripe cherry with a delicate perfume and some spicy tobacco. Chewy tannins one the palette and the wine is rich and has a great length
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3/3/2012 - svpandae Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich and smooth once it had about an hour or so.
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2/26/2012 - Vmaster007 wrote: 87 Points
Ruby colored, smell of nice dark cherry, leather, oak
Thick, nice acidity, could definetly wait a few more years in the cellar.
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12/28/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
A bunch of Brunellos: Very nice wine, but for me, the most disappointing showing. Ruby in color, slight purple hues. Its got a pretty, feminine nose with cherries, cherry blossoms and cherry powdered mix. Medium bodied, the thinnest wine on the table. Nice balance and it did add weight thru the evening. Firm tannins. Very good wine, but lagging and one of the priciest on the table.
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12/4/2011 - psmith wrote: 87 Points
Dark, dusty black cherry fruit. Dill and a bit of spice. Medium bodied. Raw, young palate. Gripping tannins dominate the finish. Some nice elements, but needs time to come together.
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11/20/2011 - Weston3220 wrote: 89 Points
Med Intensity, Youthful
Baby Fat, Potato Starch, Floral, Rich Cranberry/Sour Cherry Candy, meaty
Med Tannin, Med Body, med+ Acid, med/+ finish
Sour Cherry Candy, Dark Chocolate, opening up slowly
Conc: Very Youthful, came across as a more modern style
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10/31/2011 - Frank&Steph wrote: 89 Points
bien mais je ne l'ai pas fait assez carafer..
et les gens l'ont torcher rapidement
sera à réessayer seul avec ma copine
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9/28/2011 - tbuysse wrote: 94 Points
A bargain for the price... People who just started to discover Brunello's should watch this wine. Incredible nose, extreme elegance, balance and a long finish. Probably one of the best Q/P you can find in the region. Will hold for at least another 5 years in the bottle..
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9/12/2011 - KeithAkers wrote: 89 Points
Maverick Wine Co.'s Grand Tour 2011 (OneSixtyBlue, Chicago IL): nose: on the more extracted side with tones of licorice, black fruits, herbs, and black cherries. Decent depth, but lacking a bit
taste: medium bodied with medium+ acidity and chewy tannins. A bit rough with richer tones of licorice, herbs, dark red fruits and black cherries
overall: A solid brunello. Lacks the savory quality I really want from a brunello. Could use a little time, but this isn't a long haul wine
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8/17/2011 - vespasian wrote: 91 Points
Very closed on the nose - some subtle aromas of classy red cherries; palate again quite tight but has lovely texture, weight and mouthfeel. A very embyonic wine but with lovely potential to cellar well. Leave for at least 5-7 years.
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8/6/2011 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
bright currant and cranberry; still primary
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7/30/2011 - Sgift wrote: 93 Points
- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of tobacco, blackberry, black currant, cherry and mushroom. It's balanced and has flavours of black olive, blackberry, cherry, fig and cedar with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Wonderful earthy entry in this amazing year. Opened and drank several with friends at a tasting and was impressed with the beautiful color and nose. Constantly changing with amazing complexity. Very young, wonder how it will do decanted or in a few years. Very special brunello!
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