From Magnum and no decant. Typical color of a 22 year old Brunello--some bricking, but this was still awesome. Strawberries, raspberries and other red fruits.Earth tones of mushrooms, forest floor. Tannins well integrated, medium bodied and super smooth on the finish. I would say drink now as I don't think more bottle age will add any upside.
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Dried cherry, leather, old wood noted at the end. A little bricking in the color, just a tad funky upon opening, but it blew off quickly. Acidity and tannins still there in perfect measure. Perfect timing for this wine - served with a pan-seared, butter and thyme-basted club steak.
Fantastic. A real treat.
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From magnum. Cork was in great shape. Enjoyed at Monsu BYOB in Philadelphia with their tasting menu, including bucatini amatriciana and duck leg. From my well-stored bottle, I think this still had a few years left in it, but a really nice showing and a reminder to keep my 2010s, 2012s, and 2013s stored away.
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Auction purchase. Solid cork with 75% bleed. A bit of air helps, but only to a point. Cherry, oiled saddle leather, tannin. Plum, spice, a bit underweight. Drink up.
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This did not come across to me that its from a 97 italian when it was served to be blind. Nose is open with prunes, tobacco, dark fruit, musk, and blood. Palate has high acidity but the fruit is a bit bitter with a sharp and short finish.
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Coravin 4/22/17: Medium ruby with moderate age-appropriate bricking (more than noted when I tasted this in 2014); nose is moderately aromatic with some red fruit, clean and a bit limited; palate is medium bodied, integrated medium tannins that give a nice structure without being drying, some red cherry fruit, medium to medium-plus fresh acid; medium finish. Not improved from my last bottle, and it may have lost a bit of character. Drink now. 89-90 Finished 4/24/17: Same as when first opened. Quite nice, pleasing, easy to drink, but lacks a bit of character that it had a few years ago.
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This is really fantastic stuff. Mature and drinking perfectly now. Loads of perfectly ripe fruit yet totally elegant in terms of structure. Great acidity. Highly perfumed. Excellent winemaking. Drink now through 2022.
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Coravin 11/13/14: Medium ruby color, clear, very slight age-appropriate bricking; nose has great elegant balance of red cherry fruit, smoky spice, slight dustiness, good depth, slight brambly green; palate is youthful, great acidity (maybe too much), still substantial tannins throughout the initial to midpalate, racy red fruits, cranberry; finish is slightly tannic, not quite drying, and is short-medium. This is a very interesting wine showing a fantastic nose with depth, a youthful palate, and I think it's still on the way up, though it's also possible that the acidity will become more prominent with time and end up unbalanced. Will try my last bottle in 4-5 years and hope that it improves. 91-92 12/1: Nose is a bit more reticent, slight oxidation on the palate. Cork didn't seal well. A rare Coravin failure.
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From a bottle kindly provided by our host, Jose, this opaque garnet wine was tasted in double-blind fashion. Beginning with an intense bouquet of kirsch, red currants, tree bark, anise and earth, it follows with a fresh, full-bodied palate of similar flavors. The alcohol (listed as 13.5%) is seamless and the tannins have nearly fully resolved. Solid in the middle and long on the finish, this is a '97 which is much more disciplined than most Brunello offerings from the vintage. Balanced, luscious and not overly-extracted or excessively ripe, it shows surprising elegance. Enjoy it over the next five years. Drink now-2018.
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Pleasant, but not great. Good fruit, full bodied wine showing a lot of oak. Nothing wrong with it, just a somewhat simple wine and not worth the price. B+
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Absolutely beautiful, sweet perfumed nose, with lovely balance of dried fruits, saddle leather, tobacco, mineral, and floral notes. Palate is more youthful with persistant acid and plenty of tannic grip. This was double decanted earlier in the day, then put back in the bottle, which given the showing, must have been about ideal for this wine. Wish I had more.
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Just like the 2001 last night, both Mastrojanni corks went bad but didnt damage the wine...thankfully....i guess I opened them at just the right time. Decanted for 6 hours so far, last bottle of Mastrojanni in my collection. My birthday bottle a day early.
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Not as good as my prior tasting a year ago. Basically, dried cherries predominate on nose and palate. What was "slight heat" a year ago seems more prominent now. Other characteristics evident last year (tar, minerality) are faded so wine seems less complex. Tannins are better integrated and it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel. Drink now.
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Initial brett blew off after 5-10 min. Nose of dried flowers, candied cherry, hint of tar. Palate of candied cherry, tar, minerals, slightly hot, good grip, enjoyable.
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What a great bottle. Beautiful color, pure clear garnet, with a lovely nose that is still mostly primary: crushed red berries, a mild bit of pepper and spicebox. Wonderful mouthfeel. Soft fine tanins, good balance, very nicely built, with enough edge to put your mouth on notice, and enough depth and layers to keep it interesting. Good grip on the finish. Years to go, but really shining right now. No decant. Popped the cork 2 hours before dinner.
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i am a little concerned. this wine may be over the hill. brown brick edges. no fruit. drinkable but on its way down. i hope this is a bad bottle. will try another will soon to confirm.
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Med ruby, brick tones, classic aromas of almond & sweet cherry, hint of TCA?, nose mutes w/air, b4, a2, t3, thick & velvety w/good grip, seems to lose flavor w/air (TCA?), first sips superb (7-7.5), d3, nicer, perhaps it wasn't corked, tasty but a bit flat
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Now this is a brunello. After a full and productive weekend, we threw together a delicious Sunday evening dinner. Pasta with a light sauce of fresh tomato, garlic, basil, and mint. Corn on the cob. Boneless pork chops on the grill, marinated in EVOO, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper. Wonderful, fresh, simple food done just right.
I have been lusting after my 97 brunellos, but uncertain about whether they are ready, and whether they'll live up to their over-hyped reputation -- a reputation I've always taken with a grain of salt. Those reservations may be deserved in some cases, but not this one.
At first, a bit of a scare. I cut the capsule, but the top didn't budge. It was stuck to the cork by wine that had seeped. Bad news. The cork slid out with too little effort. More saturated than I expected. It looked as if it was too small for the bottle! More bad news. But it smelled alright -- if a bit tight, and the color was fine, so on we go. I decanted half into a split, corked it and put it in the fridge for tomorrow. The other half went into a decanter that went into the cellar about 90 minutes before dinner.
When we were letting the chops rest, I brought up the decanter. The wine had a beautiful garnet color, not dense, with a lovely clarity. The nose was evident as I poured it - spice, black fruits, very pure. In the mouth, it was all fruit, spice, a touch of earthiness, and fine tanins. There is a crystalline quality to the wine. A beautiful mouthfeel. Great stuff, and with some time in a decanter, ready to go. Will it improve? I don't know, but it will change for sure, as the earthiness becomes more prominent. A real winner from a controversial vintage. Makes me think I need to grab some of the 99.
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medium body, nose of flowers and dried cherries. soft tannins, dry. typical brunello. maybe a little lighter than anticipated based on the WS review. but still a fine wine. had with Piedmontese steak.
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12/25/2019 - mcromain1021 Likes this wine: 92 Points
From Magnum and no decant. Typical color of a 22 year old Brunello--some bricking, but this was still awesome. Strawberries, raspberries and other red fruits.Earth tones of mushrooms, forest floor. Tannins well integrated, medium bodied and super smooth on the finish. I would say drink now as I don't think more bottle age will add any upside.
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8/14/2019 - Cochon74 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dried cherry, leather, old wood noted at the end. A little bricking in the color, just a tad funky upon opening, but it blew off quickly. Acidity and tannins still there in perfect measure.
Perfect timing for this wine - served with a pan-seared, butter and thyme-basted club steak.
Fantastic. A real treat.
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7/19/2019 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Cork was in great shape. Enjoyed at Monsu BYOB in Philadelphia with their tasting menu, including bucatini amatriciana and duck leg. From my well-stored bottle, I think this still had a few years left in it, but a really nice showing and a reminder to keep my 2010s, 2012s, and 2013s stored away.
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7/7/2019 - Markus IWC wrote: 92 Points
Longlivebrunello tasting, the "La Paulee" of Montalcino, vin 26:
Light as a feather, old wardrobe, some fruit. 92p
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1/4/2019 - BrunelloBob wrote: 89 Points
Auction purchase. Solid cork with 75% bleed. A bit of air helps, but only to a point. Cherry, oiled saddle leather, tannin. Plum, spice, a bit underweight. Drink up.
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10/14/2017 - SteveHyde Likes this wine: 92 Points
Showing beautifully now. Reaching peak, I'd say.
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5/29/2017 - Burgnick wrote: 88 Points
This did not come across to me that its from a 97 italian when it was served to be blind. Nose is open with prunes, tobacco, dark fruit, musk, and blood. Palate has high acidity but the fruit is a bit bitter with a sharp and short finish.
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4/22/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Coravin 4/22/17: Medium ruby with moderate age-appropriate bricking (more than noted when I tasted this in 2014); nose is moderately aromatic with some red fruit, clean and a bit limited; palate is medium bodied, integrated medium tannins that give a nice structure without being drying, some red cherry fruit, medium to medium-plus fresh acid; medium finish. Not improved from my last bottle, and it may have lost a bit of character. Drink now. 89-90
Finished 4/24/17: Same as when first opened. Quite nice, pleasing, easy to drink, but lacks a bit of character that it had a few years ago.
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9/18/2016 - D. Fulton wrote: 93 Points
This is really fantastic stuff. Mature and drinking perfectly now. Loads of perfectly ripe fruit yet totally elegant in terms of structure. Great acidity. Highly perfumed. Excellent winemaking. Drink now through 2022.
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2/8/2015 - srshane Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well right now, even with minimal aeration time. Enjoy
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2/2/2015 - Floyd77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted. Dried berries. This was the perfect wine with a classic bolognese sauce. Don't wait -- drink now.
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1/6/2015 - srshane Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth tannins, good fruit flavor, very nice finish.
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12/28/2014 - srshane Likes this wine: 91 Points
drinking excellent now. however, i don't see a lot of potential for further aging.
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11/13/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Coravin 11/13/14: Medium ruby color, clear, very slight age-appropriate bricking; nose has great elegant balance of red cherry fruit, smoky spice, slight dustiness, good depth, slight brambly green; palate is youthful, great acidity (maybe too much), still substantial tannins throughout the initial to midpalate, racy red fruits, cranberry; finish is slightly tannic, not quite drying, and is short-medium. This is a very interesting wine showing a fantastic nose with depth, a youthful palate, and I think it's still on the way up, though it's also possible that the acidity will become more prominent with time and end up unbalanced. Will try my last bottle in 4-5 years and hope that it improves. 91-92
12/1: Nose is a bit more reticent, slight oxidation on the palate. Cork didn't seal well. A rare Coravin failure.
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10/11/2014 - srshane Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet in color, clean nose with cherry and leather on the nose. Wonderful cherry notes. Opened up quickly and was seamless by end of lunch.
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12/20/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a bottle kindly provided by our host, Jose, this opaque garnet wine was tasted in double-blind fashion. Beginning with an intense bouquet of kirsch, red currants, tree bark, anise and earth, it follows with a fresh, full-bodied palate of similar flavors. The alcohol (listed as 13.5%) is seamless and the tannins have nearly fully resolved. Solid in the middle and long on the finish, this is a '97 which is much more disciplined than most Brunello offerings from the vintage. Balanced, luscious and not overly-extracted or excessively ripe, it shows surprising elegance. Enjoy it over the next five years. Drink now-2018.
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6/19/2011 - MC wrote:
Pleasant, but not great. Good fruit, full bodied wine showing a lot of oak. Nothing wrong with it, just a somewhat simple wine and not worth the price. B+
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6/1/2011 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Mature, tasty, silky, round, nuts, leaves, fruit still there, citrus, cherry, very fine chalky tannin, perfect acidity
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5/21/2011 - Haltermr wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely beautiful, sweet perfumed nose, with lovely balance of dried fruits, saddle leather, tobacco, mineral, and floral notes. Palate is more youthful with persistant acid and plenty of tannic grip. This was double decanted earlier in the day, then put back in the bottle, which given the showing, must have been about ideal for this wine. Wish I had more.
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2/12/2011 - JAMESMOBB wrote:
Just like the 2001 last night, both Mastrojanni corks went bad but didnt damage the wine...thankfully....i guess I opened them at just the right time. Decanted for 6 hours so far, last bottle of Mastrojanni in my collection. My birthday bottle a day early.
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2/5/2010 - jmht wrote: 89 Points
Not as good as my prior tasting a year ago. Basically, dried cherries predominate on nose and palate. What was "slight heat" a year ago seems more prominent now. Other characteristics evident last year (tar, minerality) are faded so wine seems less complex. Tannins are better integrated and it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel. Drink now.
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8/7/2009 - RiedelBeagle wrote: 83 Points
Harsh, tannic, and tightly wound upon opening the bottle. I decanted it, and the wine then opened up a bit. Still very disappointing.
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1/5/2009 - jmht wrote: 90 Points
Initial brett blew off after 5-10 min. Nose of dried flowers, candied cherry, hint of tar. Palate of candied cherry, tar, minerals, slightly hot, good grip, enjoyable.
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11/18/2007 - SteveHyde wrote:
What a great bottle. Beautiful color, pure clear garnet, with a lovely nose that is still mostly primary: crushed red berries, a mild bit of pepper and spicebox. Wonderful mouthfeel. Soft fine tanins, good balance, very nicely built, with enough edge to put your mouth on notice, and enough depth and layers to keep it interesting. Good grip on the finish. Years to go, but really shining right now. No decant. Popped the cork 2 hours before dinner.
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4/15/2007 - ajr wrote:
I am afraid to say this bottle is like my last one. this wine is on its way south. hard to believe based on WS review.
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2/7/2007 - ajr wrote: 84 Points
i am a little concerned. this wine may be over the hill. brown brick edges. no fruit. drinkable but on its way down. i hope this is a bad bottle. will try another will soon to confirm.
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12/1/2006 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 87 Points
Med ruby, brick tones, classic aromas of almond & sweet cherry, hint of TCA?, nose mutes w/air, b4, a2, t3, thick & velvety w/good grip, seems to lose flavor w/air (TCA?), first sips superb (7-7.5), d3, nicer, perhaps it wasn't corked, tasty but a bit flat
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7/10/2005 - SteveHyde wrote:
Now this is a brunello. After a full and productive weekend, we threw together a delicious Sunday evening dinner. Pasta with a light sauce of fresh tomato, garlic, basil, and mint. Corn on the cob. Boneless pork chops on the grill, marinated in EVOO, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper. Wonderful, fresh, simple food done just right.
I have been lusting after my 97 brunellos, but uncertain about whether they are ready, and whether they'll live up to their over-hyped reputation -- a reputation I've always taken with a grain of salt. Those reservations may be deserved in some cases, but not this one.
At first, a bit of a scare. I cut the capsule, but the top didn't budge. It was stuck to the cork by wine that had seeped. Bad news. The cork slid out with too little effort. More saturated than I expected. It looked as if it was too small for the bottle! More bad news. But it smelled alright -- if a bit tight, and the color was fine, so on we go. I decanted half into a split, corked it and put it in the fridge for tomorrow. The other half went into a decanter that went into the cellar about 90 minutes before dinner.
When we were letting the chops rest, I brought up the decanter. The wine had a beautiful garnet color, not dense, with a lovely clarity. The nose was evident as I poured it - spice, black fruits, very pure. In the mouth, it was all fruit, spice, a touch of earthiness, and fine tanins. There is a crystalline quality to the wine. A beautiful mouthfeel. Great stuff, and with some time in a decanter, ready to go. Will it improve? I don't know, but it will change for sure, as the earthiness becomes more prominent. A real winner from a controversial vintage. Makes me think I need to grab some of the 99.
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5/7/2005 - ajr wrote: 89 Points
medium body, nose of flowers and dried cherries. soft tannins, dry. typical brunello. maybe a little lighter than anticipated based on the WS review. but still a fine wine. had with Piedmontese steak.
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