Any one enjoying eating wood? Well, then this is the wine for you. It is old, of course, and the color is deep amber. The nose is dominated by tobacco, some chocolate, a jammy type of cherry fruit, and tons of dry wood, coffee and vanilla. The first part of the tasting curve is sweet, tobacco and vanilla-like, but without much fruit. The finish and aftertaste is just plain wood; dry, almost chewy, and somewhat bitter. A small hint of fruit manages to fight it's way through on the end, but not enough to help this from being an old wood-monster that probably were out of balance already at birth. This version has always been over-oaked, and the aging has not done it any good. Interesting experiment, though.
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Pop and pour last night. Notes from 24 hrs open, and in the fridge overnght. On the nose: wild strawberry, tar, barbecue. On the palate: lovely acidity, but inky and tarry..strawberry balsamico, more tar and still very dense, but finely grained tannin on the finish. Still very much a baby, or needs a pairing to match the tannic structure.
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So elegant and refined. You’d never know this is 23 years old. Remarkably retaining its youth. Gorgeous fruit and plenty of Tuscan leather and soil. Not a blockbuster but truly a Gorgeous wine.
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Early on after decanting, seemed light and fading, though pleasant. Nice muted fruit, slight bricking, fading on the aftertaste. As our steak meal proceeded, the guests liked it more and more. The glyceriney elegance of the wine shined through. Not a blockbuster, but a very competent, probably slightly over the hill, Brunello. Drink now.
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Clean bouquet. Good structure with very ripe fruit that has evolved into secondary flavors and some tertiary flavors with mushroom and dirt. Good tannin structure with average acid. Drink soon. Not enough acidity for developing into very aged stage with tertiary flavors.
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Drank at Rossi pizza party, popped and poured. Fairly fragrant nose of leather and tobacco. Black fruit was a bit short and faded--due to age no doubt. Color showed a bit of browning, a bit lacking in concentration & depth. Still a decent wine, but has lost much of its vitality and quality with age. Drink up! Side Note: It is becoming more and more apparent that the 97 BdMs are fading, some faster than others. Do not hold them any longer!
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Opened with family and take out from Leucadia Pizzeria. Dinner was tortellini, Greek salad, vegetarian pizza, and garlic bread. Agree with the tasting notes from March of this year. In the glass aromas of meat, leather and black fruit. Also picked up a hint of mint or eucalyptus. Ruby red and balanced. Gave this one a score of 90 because the wine doesn’t have the typical depth you expect from this producer or region. Probably age.
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Dinner at the Chef’s Table at Tosca in DC. First, we were surprised by our friend Giovanni the GM when we arrived with a private table in the kitchen with Executive chef Ricardo and Sous chef Chris. The had prepared this bottle for dinner. First, for those thinking it is past its prime and that the window ended about 2015 must be drinking poorly stored bottles or we just got very lucky. The wine was vibrant and fresh with aromas of meat, leather, terroir and dark fruit. The color was deep garnet to the rim where we were expecting some ‘rusting’ and found little or none. The legs with strong and structured. The palate was smooth and elegant with the taste reflecting the aromas. Balanced with great acidity and integrated tannins demonstrating the life that remains. More in a plateau then downside of its life. Sorry not more but you can imagine our focus was on the symphony in the kitchen and our special surprise dinner.
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Brown with slight ruby hues left; lovely savory nose with sauteed shrooms, forest notes, slight mascerated cherry and prune; good mid-palate and soft structure; showing very well this tie, excellent with the shroom risotto. 91-92
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Granato intenso. Naso cupo, austero, con nette note ematiche e di carne arrostita, prugna cotta, pepe nero in grani, erbe aromatiche, menta, rosa appassita, anice. Bocca piena, fresca, intatta. Molto lungo
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Part of 1997 Tuscan tasting. Double decanted 2-3 hours before tasting. Not as beautiful as some of the others, but still drinking nicely. Not over the hill, but just did not have the freshness or complexity of some of the others.
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Drank two bottles at client board dinner at Wolfgang's in Miami. Opened an hour before but not decanted. Great color, nose; delicious and harmonious flavors; mellow for a big red. No false notes.
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Focused and classic. Great minerality. Fruit still going strong. This still has 5 years left at least. Will save my last bottle for several more years.
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Dark brown color; earthy, dried leaves, molasses, herbs, dried cherry and cherry pit; soft for Brunello on entry, without food a bit lean and dry, but with olives on pizza, this really sings with good depth, richness, and full but rounded tannins.
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Deep crimson, with orange hues and crystal clear in the glass. Very well integrated nose with vanilla, violets, cherry, and orange peel. Very pleasing on the palate. Good weight, with some chalky tannins, and mild acidity. Same notes as on the nose, and slightly tart. Long, mouth-watering cherry finish. I am familiar with the 2006 and 2010 Casanova Di Neri Brunellos, and maybe in its youth this 1997 was as potent and powerful but time has transformed it into something much more subtle, delicate, and mysterious.
These notes are based on wine that was kept overnight at room temp in a corked decanter. Initially, I did not notice the wine to be complex or overly pleasing but really resembled a full, firm Chianti. Thankfully, time to breathe changed everything.
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45 min decant- medium bodied, good balance, good finish, some fruit left- certainly in prime and should hold for another 2-3 years easily. Zero heat. No rush... Good value.
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a very good example of an aged Italian sangiovese with good pedigree. The color was red with a brownish tint, but color was consistent without a shallow center. The nose was musty, with a scent of dried mostly red fruit. The flavors were of tar, cigar box, and the fruit was fully integrated. The tannins have mellowed. The wine was very enjoyable, and think more so because Laura and I brought it to an italian restaurant to enjoy WITH food. This brings out the tertiary flavors and makes drinking older/aged wines more enjoyable for me. I think it has peaked... for some drinkers the peak was probably about 4 years ago, This is a 17 year old wine which should be opened over the next year or two and enjoyed with food and friends.
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Aromas kept getting interesting after some hours in the decanter. The alcohol and tannin, mainly tannin, seemed rather out of balance on the palate, the fruit is all dried out. At this stage, I feel we are beyond integration for this wine and the fruit is mostly dried up. a bit rough and coarse and with slightly sinewy texture.
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Brunello di Montalcino Masterclass Led by Monica Larner (Taberna wine academy): Blind wine 12: Fresh nose of vanilla, red fruits and pretty elegant. Good medium bodied and soft on palate, black cherries. Nice but a bit lack of depth. A nice Brunello and drinking nicely in its window. (90-91) My wine #8, group #6.
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Brunello di Montalcino: (degustato alla cieca) evoluto verso la mineralità, il bosco, frutta, balsamicità. Bocca interessante con un equilibrio maturato negli anni di affinamento in bottiglia. Bella progressione tra il miele e il frutto maturo. Da formaggi stagionati.
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Opened by J3 at Adelle's with CWM and steve8. Licorice, licorice and more licorice in this beauty. Also some floral notes and dark berries, with tannins that have integrated and behave. My favorite red of the night.
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Drank over two nights. Dark red. Still youngish but developing. Nose was dominated still buy dark fruit with some smoke and meat notes. The mid-palate is lacking in some concentration which was the only major issue. Good finish and held up just fine on the second night.
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Big powerful wine that needs lots of time to breathe. Color is a brilliant dark ruby with nice legs. Nose is at first funky and earthy even after double decanting for 4 hours but within 10 minutes in the glass if changes dramatically and shows chocolate and red fruit. In the mouth it is rich and supple, with the barnyard giving way to rich chocolate, cherry, prune and grilled meat flavors. Very complex and layered it changes every 15 minutes. Just a hint of bricking suggested it is close to fully mature, but I think it still has a reasonable life left, though probably should be drunk in the next 5 years or so if properly cellared.
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OK, now THIS is how a '97 Brunello is supposed to be! After our bad experience with a bottle of the same the previous night, we were worried that this wine was simply over the hill. This second bottle, however, showed us that it's still drinking just fine and our first bottle was just flawed. Popped and decanted; immediately drinkable with lots of cherry and mild tannins. Nice finish that kept improving for three hours. There's still some life left in this wine but no reason not to drink now.
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This was really watery when we opened it; not much going on even after a couple hours of decant. We tried it again after 24 hours and it had improved but not nearly to the level that others have been saying. There was a lot of crystallization around the cork but no TCA smell/taste. The bottle didn't taste heat damaged, just . . . weak. Fortunately we had another bottle of the same, which we opened up the next night - tasting note to follow!
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With buffalo short ribs and soft polenta. To my palate, all Brunelli taste better with food, and this was no exception. More, it was a nice match for the rustic braise. Its acidity was mellowed by the ribs' unctuousness, and the ribs were uplifted by the wine. Nothing else to add to the tasting notes of others.
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Fantastic Brunello from a great Tuscan producer. I would agree with other posters that the tannins have mellowed but that is what makes this wine so great. At 15 years old it is drinking PERFECT! I decanted for about 2 hours before comsumption. This wine, properly cellared, should live on for another 3 years I'm sure.
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Drinking with my wife on our 17th anniversary and what a great way to celebrate with a classic brunello at its peak. The tannins have mellowed but the wine is still firm with structure and the balance between the fruit and the tannin is perfect -- what a great wine.
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Good wine from a great vintage. Decanted 5 hours and served with Osso bucco. Floral notes with cedar, minerals, red fruits and well-developed fine tannins. The mid-palate never quite came around, but it was still a good match for the food. Honestly, I had hoped for a little more from such a storied vintage.
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Still a great bottle of wine. Decanted for a couple of hours before drinking and found good balance with dark fruits and a long finish. The only downside was that we drank it side by side with the 2004 Cerretalto. It wasn't a fair fight as the 2004 Cerretalto is one of the best Casanova di Neri's I've tasted.
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Very fragrant prunes, cherries, chocolate and marsipan on the nose. Clearly from a warmer vintage. Could easily be mistaken for a burg from a not-so-cold vintage. Long finish. Palate has a bit more acidity than you'd expect from the nose. Good wine, though a modernist take on Brunello?
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On opening, a lot of alcohol and not much else. After a 3 hour decant, this wine opened up into the deliscious wine I was expeciting. Full-bodied, lots of dark fruit and a wonderful lingering finish. Wish I had more!
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Another favorite of the night. Decanted several hours in advance. Really singing, with cherries, earth and leather. Full-bodied, seamless, seems at peak now.
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Decanted, and it opened up after two hours...at first it had greenish vegetal flavors that mad me wonder if it would develop, but after a couple of hours the wine showed dense strong sangiovese midpalate, balanced by expected acidity and tannin. Really nice Brunello I would drink now. though it should last a few more years.
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Nose was nearly non-existent when first opened but developed quickly of dark berries and smoke. Very deep color. Very traditional Tuscan wine with mineral, earth and smoke. Heavy tannins on the finish. This wine is only beginning to reach its peak only wsh I had a few more bottles.
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I found this bottle to be similar in appearance to the previous bottle... aromatically the wine had good intensity and had more dark fruit and a smoky, damp velvet, damp forest floor kind of thing going on... on the palate the wine the wine didn't have the metallic edge I noted before though the flavors were a bit more muddled and I would add a moderate amount of alcohol perceived... quality wise I found the wine to have good balance, good length, great intensity, and good complexity... the wine has some finesse but that is impaired on the palate with some muddling of flavors, a fine texture, and average expression of place (new barriques and sangio for me really obscures origin in a wine... blind I could see putting this in Ribera del Duero, Bordeaux, maybe even Northern Rhone). The wine, or more accurately this bottle, is slightly past its peak based on the muddling of the flavors on the palate. Reading CT notes below I get the feeling this wine is being overrated quality-wise to a large extent... I can see an argument for it being "very good" to "excellent," but haven't seen any convincing evidence it is more than that in two bottles that were seemingly in excellent condition even when taking into account the modern style of the producer.
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Dark garnet hue. Engaging nose of smoke, earth, red plums, cranberry, and holiday spices. Dark, deeply-pitched fruit with hints of leather and earth plus a twist of tart acidity on the palate. Lots of grip and structured tannins on the back end. Long, flavorful finish laden with mineral, spice, and moca notes. A quality wine with many years to go, just beginning to enter its drinking window.
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Very warm with bitter cherries and smoke. Rich, full with a pretty long finish and a touch of sangioveses dryness. Modern but could wish a little more complexity.
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Sampled 3/28/10. Rich and ripe dark fruits with plenty of spice. The tannins are still very firm. Give this wine another 3 to 4 years before coming back to it. It will get more pliable in the mouth and lots of good things should start to show themselves better. This wine is likely to be good for another decade.
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Alongside the Bea was a 1997 Casanova de Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova, certainly the most backward and reserved of the wines that evening. This wine seemed to have barely budged from its primary flavors despite its 12 years of age, with aromas of tar and black cherry coaxed only reluctantly from the glass. While not showy at this stage, I was nonetheless impressed with the depth of material here, with not insubstantial tannins balanced well at this stage by the density of dark fruit. I think this will drink very well in eight years or so, and is no particular danger of drying out as some have warned.
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Mature and dark color. There is good fruit and some secondary aromas, but all of its merits are overshadowed by the oak and makes for a very dry finish. I had hoped that its heavy oak would be integrated after a while. Not yet, though. And I sincerely doubt that it ever will.
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Let slow-o for about 5 hours prior to serving. The nose was a bit muted at first but came to life after an hour in the glass to show nice blackberry and spice notes. Good concentration on the palate with more dark berries and a very smooth and long finish. Really tasty now but it’s still holding back a bit and could really blossom with a couple more years in the cellar.
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South FL WS Forum Offline (Hollywood, FL): Unfortuately, the cork on this was saturated nearly to the top, and this bottle appeared oxidized and did not show well. Was drinkable, offering some rather tart cherry flavors, but the normal rich layered fruit was missing and the wine just fell flat.
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Very nice, a deep garnet color with a rich and nose. First thirty minutes were a bit acidic, but it opened up after that. Ideally we should have opened it for over an hour prior to consuming, it just got better with added weight with time. Medium length finish. Drinking very nice now but still has time.
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Decanted about 6 hours. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of wet stones, berries and a bit of fertilizer. Falvors of berries, cherries and reaspberries. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink or hold. Not sure it was showing as well as it could because of the extended decant so withholding a rating.
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Reddish brown rim, dark color. On the nose plenty of dark, macerated cherry, oak spice... quite savory. On the palate dry, high acidity, a moderately full midpalate, firm, ripe, integrating tannins and a hint of a dull, flat, metallic feel towards the end. Good balance, moderate + length, intensity, and complexity. The next day the wine was still drinking well with less of the dullness at the end of the wine. A well made wine which tends towards the internationally styled end of the spectrum... approaching peak drinking window.
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Opened about 3 hours before dinner (grilled rib-eyes), and decanted 15 minutes before (significant sediment in the bottle) - we each had a glass with dinner, and finished after putting the kids to bed (which took a while, they were pretty dirty). Nose was delightful, it had both a freshness and a meatiness to it, with hints of licorice and menthol. Dark cherry fruit on the palate, with more meatiness and scorched earth and tobacco on the back end where the tannins start to kick in. Very fresh in the mouth, with a bit of lively acid up front with ripe tannin behind. Style definitely seemed in between for me, some sweet fruit, but plenty of earthiness as well. I am happy with this one, loved it with the steak, and loved it some more later.
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Damn, I really liked this wine last month in a restaurant so I bought two and low and behold this one was soily and very earthy on opening and then nothinh happened as it surely must have oxidised a couple of years ago. I hope when I open my other one the same result doesn't occur.
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Dinner with pjaines (Pjaines house, London): This had a little funky nose after decanting but it faded. Quiet a reserved wine, giving little but giving on drinking. Some dry earth, a little smoke/tobacco. Palate had a fresh balance to it and still has the backbone/structure for a longer life.
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Decated for 90 minutes. Wonderful sedcutive nose of earth, tobacco and bramble with good fruit ...showing that still perhaps room for improvement. Forst bottle lto be drained of the evening...always a good sign.
My guess is that the winery bottled from more than one barrel or source....as there is no way the bottle I just had was an 87 ....as in Parker score. Much closser to 95 from WS. I got lucky and others did not....too bad!!
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a night of brunellos (My house): nose: very interesting nose of smoke tones, blueberries, game notes, floral tones with slight flavors of compost tones, cherry, black currant, and flavors of clay. Really dense nose that changed a lot in the glass
taste: nice and silky, but not nearly as deep as the nose with cherry, smoke, wild game, floral tones, and a bit of blueberry
overall: a really interesting wine. It changed a lot in a short time and is very elegant, but the finish doesn't bring as much and the mid palate is a bit thin. While possesing some really interesting characteristics, there is a bit lacking that turns this into a amazing wine
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March 2008 Chicago WL Offline Brunello di Montalcino Event: - Tasted as part of the Chicago WL Brunello Offline Sight: Dark wine, somewhat cloudy (discovered later to be the oldest wine of the evening) Nose: Bretty; Smoke; Natural Gas (Mercaptan); Wet Dog; Fungus of sorts; Slight Cherry notes; Fruit was muted; Then as it blew off .... fruit started to be more predominant; Slight gaminess; Flowers or floral notes at towards the end of the taste; Sneak appearance of Blueberry as well Taste: Blackberry; Black Currants; Silky; Smooth Overall: Most interesting wine of the evening; Odd wine of sorts; Sybil-esque personality in the wine - it really kept changing on everyone! Still a good wine, just weird/surprising. Overall 90 points
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Utterly on point. Drinking quite young still but starting to show some secondary brilliance. Tobacco and balsa explode from the glass. Lifted, soaring aromatics. This dances on the palate as well with fantastic acidity, earthy and dry but with brilliant notes of cherry fruit. This settles in with earthy, powerful, persistent notes on the finish. Rather classic in overally personality but with enough sweetness to the core to hint at some international styling. Really gorgeous showing. I wish I had more than the 1 bottle left.
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Rusty/ruby and showing signs of it age, very herbal and musty on the nose with hints red fruit, sage and game, palate is smooth and balanced but also showing some age, lots of juicy red fruit melting into menthol and white pepper, long lingering finish, very barolo like
Another 97 Brunello that is not living up to its end of the bargain. It's a good wine just not the super fantastic vintage that WS claimed it was. Moreover, more bottle age isn't going to help this one, it's already starting to turn. I going to start selling my 97 Brunellos.
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Woinderful; paired with Osso Buca and the combination was superb. Comment by the other three wine-lover couples was "a perfect match". My third bottle with similar results - wish I had more.
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Pleasant and nice but a little simplistic for such a highly regarded year. It had nice red cherry fruit that was both sweet and sour. The texture and flow was nice. Tannins were fleshy and refined. On the face of it a good wine. Just no complexity. No 'wow' factor. To be honest, I could have been drinking a well made $15-$20 Chianti, which there is nothing wrong with, but I would expect more from a Brunello.
Roast chicken, french fries and fried zucchini blossoms.
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was outclassed at dinner last night by the 90 Castelgiocado. big wine, with good fruit, lots of tannin, and an earthy element to it, but not there with the best brunellos. B-
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Purple with some garnet. Very beautiful, pungent nose of flowers, mulling spices, and blackberries. Tight and unyielding for the most part on the palate, eventually exhibiting some dark cherry and licorice notes. Way too young.
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Modern. Nose of game, herbs provence, slight cedar/spice. Expansive on the palate with black cherry, maybe a hint of dark chocolate...needs much more time. To date, my '97 Brunello experience have been much more that they need considerable more time than they are roasted...we'll see, I guess.
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The cork was wet nearly to the end, with only 2-3mm dry. Will have to watch this on the remaining bottles. Initially the wine is mute - with almost no nose. The color is red, with no evident browning that seems more typical of Brunello (does the name reflect this?). For the first 30 minutes, I worry again about my over-investment in '97 Brunello, as a result of all the hype the vintage enjoyed. Whether the passage of 30 minutes, or getting out some bread and olive oil, was the reason, the wine changed completely. Now it expresses primarily black fruit and a taste of beef broth. The tannins are moderate, but sufficient to make me think this wine has a long life ahead. This is evidently a modern Brunello.
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11/12/2023 - Bjb81 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose: Dried cherries and prunes, cassis, Green vines, sweet baking spice, cedar
Palate: Dry, tart, red fruit, oak, earth
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2/4/2022 - dagij wrote: 82 Points
Any one enjoying eating wood? Well, then this is the wine for you. It is old, of course, and the color is deep amber. The nose is dominated by tobacco, some chocolate, a jammy type of cherry fruit, and tons of dry wood, coffee and vanilla. The first part of the tasting curve is sweet, tobacco and vanilla-like, but without much fruit. The finish and aftertaste is just plain wood; dry, almost chewy, and somewhat bitter. A small hint of fruit manages to fight it's way through on the end, but not enough to help this from being an old wood-monster that probably were out of balance already at birth. This version has always been over-oaked, and the aging has not done it any good. Interesting experiment, though.
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9/18/2021 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Pop and pour last night. Notes from 24 hrs open, and in the fridge overnght. On the nose: wild strawberry, tar, barbecue. On the palate: lovely acidity, but inky and tarry..strawberry balsamico, more tar and still very dense, but finely grained tannin on the finish. Still very much a baby, or needs a pairing to match the tannic structure.
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12/4/2020 - Dalex Likes this wine: 93 Points
So elegant and refined. You’d never know this is 23 years old. Remarkably retaining its youth. Gorgeous fruit and plenty of Tuscan leather and soil. Not a blockbuster but truly a Gorgeous wine.
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3/21/2020 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 90 Points
Early on after decanting, seemed light and fading, though pleasant. Nice muted fruit, slight bricking, fading on the aftertaste. As our steak meal proceeded, the guests liked it more and more. The glyceriney elegance of the wine shined through. Not a blockbuster, but a very competent, probably slightly over the hill, Brunello. Drink now.
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10/16/2019 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
in good shape and drinking nicely. Time to drink
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10/12/2019 - Winiac wrote: 92 Points
Clean bouquet. Good structure with very ripe fruit that has evolved into secondary flavors and some tertiary flavors with mushroom and dirt. Good tannin structure with average acid. Drink soon. Not enough acidity for developing into very aged stage with tertiary flavors.
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10/5/2019 - lesz wrote: 91 Points
took a while to open up
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9/4/2018 - cephomer wrote: 89 Points
Drank at Rossi pizza party, popped and poured. Fairly fragrant nose of leather and tobacco. Black fruit was a bit short and faded--due to age no doubt. Color showed a bit of browning, a bit lacking in concentration & depth. Still a decent wine, but has lost much of its vitality and quality with age. Drink up!
Side Note: It is becoming more and more apparent that the 97 BdMs are fading, some faster than others. Do not hold them any longer!
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5/26/2018 - fppiceo wrote: 90 Points
Opened with family and take out from Leucadia Pizzeria. Dinner was tortellini, Greek salad, vegetarian pizza, and garlic bread. Agree with the tasting notes from March of this year. In the glass aromas of meat, leather and black fruit. Also picked up a hint of mint or eucalyptus. Ruby red and balanced. Gave this one a score of 90 because the wine doesn’t have the typical depth you expect from this producer or region. Probably age.
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3/4/2018 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at the Chef’s Table at Tosca in DC. First, we were surprised by our friend Giovanni the GM when we arrived with a private table in the kitchen with Executive chef Ricardo and Sous chef Chris. The had prepared this bottle for dinner. First, for those thinking it is past its prime and that the window ended about 2015 must be drinking poorly stored bottles or we just got very lucky. The wine was vibrant and fresh with aromas of meat, leather, terroir and dark fruit. The color was deep garnet to the rim where we were expecting some ‘rusting’ and found little or none. The legs with strong and structured. The palate was smooth and elegant with the taste reflecting the aromas. Balanced with great acidity and integrated tannins demonstrating the life that remains. More in a plateau then downside of its life. Sorry not more but you can imagine our focus was on the symphony in the kitchen and our special surprise dinner.
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9/10/2017 - MS92 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Perfectly aged and absolutely awesome! Decanted for 3-4 hours. I wish I had more for future special occasions.
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12/5/2016 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Brown with slight ruby hues left; lovely savory nose with sauteed shrooms, forest notes, slight mascerated cherry and prune; good mid-palate and soft structure; showing very well this tie, excellent with the shroom risotto. 91-92
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5/7/2016 - kchenok wrote:
Leathery. At the end of its life, but drinkable. Opened up over the first half hour!
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2/22/2016 - Ludi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Granato intenso. Naso cupo, austero, con nette note ematiche e di carne arrostita, prugna cotta, pepe nero in grani, erbe aromatiche, menta, rosa appassita, anice. Bocca piena, fresca, intatta. Molto lungo
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2/5/2016 - Ron Slye wrote: 89 Points
Part of 1997 Tuscan tasting. Double decanted 2-3 hours before tasting. Not as beautiful as some of the others, but still drinking nicely. Not over the hill, but just did not have the freshness or complexity of some of the others.
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1/27/2016 - DavidLPerry Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank two bottles at client board dinner at Wolfgang's in Miami. Opened an hour before but not decanted. Great color, nose; delicious and harmonious flavors; mellow for a big red. No false notes.
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1/22/2016 - adipovino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Focused and classic. Great minerality. Fruit still going strong. This still has 5 years left at least. Will save my last bottle for several more years.
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11/7/2015 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Dark brown color; earthy, dried leaves, molasses, herbs, dried cherry and cherry pit; soft for Brunello on entry, without food a bit lean and dry, but with olives on pizza, this really sings with good depth, richness, and full but rounded tannins.
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3/23/2015 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep crimson, with orange hues and crystal clear in the glass. Very well integrated nose with vanilla, violets, cherry, and orange peel. Very pleasing on the palate. Good weight, with some chalky tannins, and mild acidity. Same notes as on the nose, and slightly tart. Long, mouth-watering cherry finish. I am familiar with the 2006 and 2010 Casanova Di Neri Brunellos, and maybe in its youth this 1997 was as potent and powerful but time has transformed it into something much more subtle, delicate, and mysterious.
These notes are based on wine that was kept overnight at room temp in a corked decanter. Initially, I did not notice the wine to be complex or overly pleasing but really resembled a full, firm Chianti. Thankfully, time to breathe changed everything.
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3/3/2015 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of the finest Brunellos I have ever tasted (consistently)
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11/20/2014 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
45 min decant- medium bodied, good balance, good finish, some fruit left- certainly in prime and should hold for another 2-3 years easily. Zero heat. No rush... Good value.
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11/14/2014 - awineo Likes this wine: 94 Points
I have been drinking up my 1997 Brunello's as the fruit seems to be fading in the non reserve bottles.
This bottle had solid fruit and quite stiff tannins for a 97. Overall went well with food.
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9/12/2014 - WineBarter Likes this wine: 90 Points
a very good example of an aged Italian sangiovese with good pedigree. The color was red with a brownish tint, but color was consistent without a shallow center. The nose was musty, with a scent of dried mostly red fruit. The flavors were of tar, cigar box, and the fruit was fully integrated. The tannins have mellowed. The wine was very enjoyable, and think more so because Laura and I brought it to an italian restaurant to enjoy WITH food. This brings out the tertiary flavors and makes drinking older/aged wines more enjoyable for me. I think it has peaked... for some drinkers the peak was probably about 4 years ago, This is a 17 year old wine which should be opened over the next year or two and enjoyed with food and friends.
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8/31/2014 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
Just an amazing an outstanding bottle of Brunello Di Montalcino!!! Delightful to drink and so ready and tasteful!!!
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6/18/2014 - mattyboy_ wrote: 89 Points
Aromas kept getting interesting after some hours in the decanter. The alcohol and tannin, mainly tannin, seemed rather out of balance on the palate, the fruit is all dried out. At this stage, I feel we are beyond integration for this wine and the fruit is mostly dried up. a bit rough and coarse and with slightly sinewy texture.
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4/6/2014 - Wineshington Likes this wine: 94 Points
At 2941. Outstanding wine in the drinking window.
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3/20/2014 - ed-d wrote: 94 Points
A slight dental element on the nose. Rich & Lovely, very concentrated taken in context with other 1997 Brunellos tasted alongside it.
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3/16/2014 - hkm520240 wrote: 91 Points
Brunello di Montalcino Masterclass Led by Monica Larner (Taberna wine academy): Blind wine 12: Fresh nose of vanilla, red fruits and pretty elegant. Good medium bodied and soft on palate, black cherries. Nice but a bit lack of depth. A nice Brunello and drinking nicely in its window. (90-91) My wine #8, group #6.
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2/25/2014 - paolonardi wrote:
Brunello di Montalcino: (degustato alla cieca) evoluto verso la mineralità, il bosco, frutta, balsamicità. Bocca interessante con un equilibrio maturato negli anni di affinamento in bottiglia. Bella progressione tra il miele e il frutto maturo. Da formaggi stagionati.
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8/2/2013 - awineo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Have a few of these left. Drank well. Fruit was solid but subdued as were the tannins. Needs to be drunk soon.
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7/30/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Opened by J3 at Adelle's with CWM and steve8. Licorice, licorice and more licorice in this beauty. Also some floral notes and dark berries, with tannins that have integrated and behave. My favorite red of the night.
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4/15/2013 - Montecalvo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over two nights. Dark red. Still youngish but developing. Nose was dominated still buy dark fruit with some smoke and meat notes. The mid-palate is lacking in some concentration which was the only major issue. Good finish and held up just fine on the second night.
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4/4/2013 - Eric wrote: flawed
Horribly corked.
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1/23/2013 - MikeZ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth, big core of fruit, rich on the palate...not giving a ton on the edges but everyone very much enjoyed this bottle.
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12/24/2012 - oldwines wrote: 94 Points
Big powerful wine that needs lots of time to breathe. Color is a brilliant dark ruby with nice legs. Nose is at first funky and earthy even after double decanting for 4 hours but within 10 minutes in the glass if changes dramatically and shows chocolate and red fruit. In the mouth it is rich and supple, with the barnyard giving way to rich chocolate, cherry, prune and grilled meat flavors. Very complex and layered it changes every 15 minutes. Just a hint of bricking suggested it is close to fully mature, but I think it still has a reasonable life left, though probably should be drunk in the next 5 years or so if properly cellared.
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11/29/2012 - ctjared Likes this wine:
Off the charts good and what brunello is all about!
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11/25/2012 - guido23 Likes this wine: 91 Points
OK, now THIS is how a '97 Brunello is supposed to be! After our bad experience with a bottle of the same the previous night, we were worried that this wine was simply over the hill. This second bottle, however, showed us that it's still drinking just fine and our first bottle was just flawed. Popped and decanted; immediately drinkable with lots of cherry and mild tannins. Nice finish that kept improving for three hours. There's still some life left in this wine but no reason not to drink now.
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11/24/2012 - guido23 wrote: flawed
This was really watery when we opened it; not much going on even after a couple hours of decant. We tried it again after 24 hours and it had improved but not nearly to the level that others have been saying. There was a lot of crystallization around the cork but no TCA smell/taste. The bottle didn't taste heat damaged, just . . . weak. Fortunately we had another bottle of the same, which we opened up the next night - tasting note to follow!
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11/14/2012 - ctjared wrote:
So much better then the first bottle. Super balanced. Drinking great.
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8/27/2012 - GPW wrote:
With buffalo short ribs and soft polenta. To my palate, all Brunelli taste better with food, and this was no exception. More, it was a nice match for the rustic braise. Its acidity was mellowed by the ribs' unctuousness, and the ribs were uplifted by the wine. Nothing else to add to the tasting notes of others.
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8/13/2012 - alexmb1 wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic Brunello from a great Tuscan producer. I would agree with other posters that the tannins have mellowed but that is what makes this wine so great. At 15 years old it is drinking PERFECT! I decanted for about 2 hours before comsumption. This wine, properly cellared, should live on for another 3 years I'm sure.
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8/1/2012 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 90 Points
Tart cherry, almonds, leather, earthy wood, firm but w/just enough fruit, a little rustic
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7/7/2012 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 95 Points
Drinking with my wife on our 17th anniversary and what a great way to celebrate with a classic brunello at its peak. The tannins have mellowed but the wine is still firm with structure and the balance between the fruit and the tannin is perfect -- what a great wine.
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5/19/2012 - PlonkSwiller wrote: 91 Points
Good wine from a great vintage. Decanted 5 hours and served with Osso bucco. Floral notes with cedar, minerals, red fruits and well-developed fine tannins. The mid-palate never quite came around, but it was still a good match for the food. Honestly, I had hoped for a little more from such a storied vintage.
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4/6/2012 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 92 Points
Nice Brunello that has done very well with time.
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1/28/2012 - JohnW3 wrote: 92 Points
Still a great bottle of wine. Decanted for a couple of hours before drinking and found good balance with dark fruits and a long finish. The only downside was that we drank it side by side with the 2004 Cerretalto. It wasn't a fair fight as the 2004 Cerretalto is one of the best Casanova di Neri's I've tasted.
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1/16/2012 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent wine. Still fresh and bold, and needs to be decanted an hour or two to truly appreciate its fruit and splendor.
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12/24/2011 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 85 Points
I guess Italian grape juice just isn't my thing. At $100 per bottle, that's a pricey lesson.
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10/1/2011 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 87 Points
Bit of heat, roughness, still has fruit, bit simple
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8/26/2011 - ctjared wrote:
Not as great as I was hoping for, but solid.
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6/7/2011 - don_quichotte wrote: 91 Points
Very fragrant prunes, cherries, chocolate and marsipan on the nose. Clearly from a warmer vintage. Could easily be mistaken for a burg from a not-so-cold vintage. Long finish. Palate has a bit more acidity than you'd expect from the nose. Good wine, though a modernist take on Brunello?
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1/1/2011 - JuliannaD wrote: 92 Points
On opening, a lot of alcohol and not much else. After a 3 hour decant, this wine opened up into the deliscious wine I was expeciting. Full-bodied, lots of dark fruit and a wonderful lingering finish. Wish I had more!
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12/31/2010 - Javachip wrote: 94 Points
Another favorite of the night. Decanted several hours in advance. Really singing, with cherries, earth and leather. Full-bodied, seamless, seems at peak now.
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12/25/2010 - rwatkin wrote: 92 Points
Decanted, and it opened up after two hours...at first it had greenish vegetal flavors that mad me wonder if it would develop, but after a couple of hours the wine showed dense strong sangiovese midpalate, balanced by expected acidity and tannin. Really nice Brunello
I would drink now. though it should last a few more years.
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11/9/2010 - KLDrake wrote: 91 Points
Nose was nearly non-existent when first opened but developed quickly of dark berries and smoke. Very deep color. Very traditional Tuscan wine with mineral, earth and smoke. Heavy tannins on the finish. This wine is only beginning to reach its peak only wsh I had a few more bottles.
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10/6/2010 - markjanes wrote: 87 Points
I found this bottle to be similar in appearance to the previous bottle... aromatically the wine had good intensity and had more dark fruit and a smoky, damp velvet, damp forest floor kind of thing going on... on the palate the wine the wine didn't have the metallic edge I noted before though the flavors were a bit more muddled and I would add a moderate amount of alcohol perceived... quality wise I found the wine to have good balance, good length, great intensity, and good complexity... the wine has some finesse but that is impaired on the palate with some muddling of flavors, a fine texture, and average expression of place (new barriques and sangio for me really obscures origin in a wine... blind I could see putting this in Ribera del Duero, Bordeaux, maybe even Northern Rhone). The wine, or more accurately this bottle, is slightly past its peak based on the muddling of the flavors on the palate. Reading CT notes below I get the feeling this wine is being overrated quality-wise to a large extent... I can see an argument for it being "very good" to "excellent," but haven't seen any convincing evidence it is more than that in two bottles that were seemingly in excellent condition even when taking into account the modern style of the producer.
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9/13/2010 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Dark garnet hue. Engaging nose of smoke, earth, red plums, cranberry, and holiday spices. Dark, deeply-pitched fruit with hints of leather and earth plus a twist of tart acidity on the palate. Lots of grip and structured tannins on the back end. Long, flavorful finish laden with mineral, spice, and moca notes. A quality wine with many years to go, just beginning to enter its drinking window.
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8/10/2010 - Whitman wrote: 92 Points
Very warm with bitter cherries and smoke. Rich, full with a pretty long finish and a touch of sangioveses dryness. Modern but could wish a little more complexity.
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7/21/2010 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Dark berries and coffee; the taste resembles the smell, marked tannins, leather and earth, some minerals/stones. Very good wine.
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6/5/2010 - bcmatthias wrote: 92 Points
Cherry notes. A very nice balance. Could last longer but was very nice now.
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6/5/2010 - mxpbuy wrote: 93 Points
Sampled 3/28/10. Rich and ripe dark fruits with plenty of spice. The tannins are still very firm. Give this wine another 3 to 4 years before coming back to it. It will get more pliable in the mouth and lots of good things should start to show themselves better. This wine is likely to be good for another decade.
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2/6/2010 - CSteefel wrote: 92 Points
Alongside the Bea was a 1997 Casanova de Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova, certainly the most backward and reserved of the wines that evening. This wine seemed to have barely budged from its primary flavors despite its 12 years of age, with aromas of tar and black cherry coaxed only reluctantly from the glass. While not showy at this stage, I was nonetheless impressed with the depth of material here, with not insubstantial tannins balanced well at this stage by the density of dark fruit. I think this will drink very well in eight years or so, and is no particular danger of drying out as some have warned.
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12/28/2009 - LWI wrote: 84 Points
Mature and dark color. There is good fruit and some secondary aromas, but all of its merits are overshadowed by the oak and makes for a very dry finish. I had hoped that its heavy oak would be integrated after a while. Not yet, though. And I sincerely doubt that it ever will.
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11/28/2009 - numcwrt2 wrote: 94 Points
Formal notes not taken. Pulled as a back-up to the corked Montisoli.
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10/29/2009 - keelegl wrote: 92 Points
Let slow-o for about 5 hours prior to serving. The nose was a bit muted at first but came to life after an hour in the glass to show nice blackberry and spice notes. Good concentration on the palate with more dark berries and a very smooth and long finish. Really tasty now but it’s still holding back a bit and could really blossom with a couple more years in the cellar.
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9/12/2009 - vinole wrote:
South FL WS Forum Offline (Hollywood, FL): Unfortuately, the cork on this was saturated nearly to the top, and this bottle appeared oxidized and did not show well. Was drinkable, offering some rather tart cherry flavors, but the normal rich layered fruit was missing and the wine just fell flat.
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7/25/2009 - Mark wrote: 92 Points
Very nice, a deep garnet color with a rich and nose. First thirty minutes were a bit acidic, but it opened up after that. Ideally we should have opened it for over an hour prior to consuming, it just got better with added weight with time. Medium length finish. Drinking very nice now but still has time.
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7/15/2009 - wineismylife wrote:
DAWGS July 2009 - 6th Anniversary! (Amici's Signature Italian, Carrollton, TX): WIML??
Tasted July 15, 2009.
Decanted about 6 hours. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of wet stones, berries and a bit of fertilizer. Falvors of berries, cherries and reaspberries. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink or hold. Not sure it was showing as well as it could because of the extended decant so withholding a rating.
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7/6/2009 - markjanes wrote: 88 Points
Reddish brown rim, dark color. On the nose plenty of dark, macerated cherry, oak spice... quite savory. On the palate dry, high acidity, a moderately full midpalate, firm, ripe, integrating tannins and a hint of a dull, flat, metallic feel towards the end. Good balance, moderate + length, intensity, and complexity. The next day the wine was still drinking well with less of the dullness at the end of the wine. A well made wine which tends towards the internationally styled end of the spectrum... approaching peak drinking window.
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6/6/2009 - Cahill wrote: 93 Points
Opened about 3 hours before dinner (grilled rib-eyes), and decanted 15 minutes before (significant sediment in the bottle) - we each had a glass with dinner, and finished after putting the kids to bed (which took a while, they were pretty dirty). Nose was delightful, it had both a freshness and a meatiness to it, with hints of licorice and menthol. Dark cherry fruit on the palate, with more meatiness and scorched earth and tobacco on the back end where the tannins start to kick in. Very fresh in the mouth, with a bit of lively acid up front with ripe tannin behind. Style definitely seemed in between for me, some sweet fruit, but plenty of earthiness as well. I am happy with this one, loved it with the steak, and loved it some more later.
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5/11/2009 - TannicBeast wrote: 95 Points
WS 95 in 2002. $68-$99
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4/6/2009 - mariolanza wrote: flawed
Damn, I really liked this wine last month in a restaurant so I bought two and low and behold this one was soily and very earthy on opening and then nothinh happened as it surely must have oxidised a couple of years ago. I hope when I open my other one the same result doesn't occur.
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1/11/2009 - cvvhrn wrote: 94 Points
A most excellent bottle. Hints of Caisis and earth on the nose with dark fruit, tobacco and expresson on the palate. great mouthfeel and long finish
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11/23/2008 - Wrighty wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with pjaines (Pjaines house, London): This had a little funky nose after decanting but it faded. Quiet a reserved wine, giving little but giving on drinking. Some dry earth, a little smoke/tobacco. Palate had a fresh balance to it and still has the backbone/structure for a longer life.
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11/8/2008 - rarewineman wrote: 93 Points
Decated for 90 minutes. Wonderful sedcutive nose of earth, tobacco and bramble with good fruit ...showing that still perhaps room for improvement. Forst bottle lto be drained of the evening...always a good sign.
My guess is that the winery bottled from more than one barrel or source....as there is no way the bottle I just had was an 87 ....as in Parker score. Much closser to 95 from WS. I got lucky and others did not....too bad!!
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10/3/2008 - patwjr wrote: 91 Points
Sweet aromas, medium weight, figs, earthy, smooth finish. Still some tannins & acid present for aging, but this one is a drink now.
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9/19/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Dinner Party at Home w Roberta&David Errenreich, Cindy&Jorge Gonzalez, and Jeannie&Gus Vidauretta (1915 Brickell Avenue, C1507, Miami, FL): Decanted for an hour to allow brett to dissapate. (Reminded Gus, that this was an earlier vintage of the wine he had a few months ago at Al Moro in Rome when he called me and asked me to tell the waiter whcih wine he was supposed to order - the 01.)
With decanting this was = to the Uccelierra, perhaps more flavorful with more upside potential.
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3/30/2008 - Lorien wrote: 90 Points
exactly what Claudio161 said. on the word
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3/15/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
a night of brunellos (My house): nose: very interesting nose of smoke tones, blueberries, game notes, floral tones with slight flavors of compost tones, cherry, black currant, and flavors of clay. Really dense nose that changed a lot in the glass
taste: nice and silky, but not nearly as deep as the nose with cherry, smoke, wild game, floral tones, and a bit of blueberry
overall: a really interesting wine. It changed a lot in a short time and is very elegant, but the finish doesn't bring as much and the mid palate is a bit thin. While possesing some really interesting characteristics, there is a bit lacking that turns this into a amazing wine
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3/15/2008 - Claudio161 wrote: 90 Points
March 2008 Chicago WL Offline Brunello di Montalcino Event: - Tasted as part of the Chicago WL Brunello Offline
Sight: Dark wine, somewhat cloudy (discovered later to be the oldest wine of the evening)
Nose: Bretty; Smoke; Natural Gas (Mercaptan); Wet Dog; Fungus of sorts; Slight Cherry notes; Fruit was muted; Then as it blew off .... fruit started to be more predominant; Slight gaminess; Flowers or floral notes at towards the end of the taste; Sneak appearance of Blueberry as well
Taste: Blackberry; Black Currants; Silky; Smooth
Overall: Most interesting wine of the evening; Odd wine of sorts; Sybil-esque personality in the wine - it really kept changing on everyone! Still a good wine, just weird/surprising. Overall 90 points
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3/1/2008 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Utterly on point. Drinking quite young still but starting to show some secondary brilliance. Tobacco and balsa explode from the glass. Lifted, soaring aromatics. This dances on the palate as well with fantastic acidity, earthy and dry but with brilliant notes of cherry fruit. This settles in with earthy, powerful, persistent notes on the finish. Rather classic in overally personality but with enough sweetness to the core to hint at some international styling. Really gorgeous showing. I wish I had more than the 1 bottle left.
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11/23/2007 - wmbar wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful, still early.
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11/22/2007 - wineaustria wrote: 96 Points
For me this was surprisingly good! Great nose long finish - drink now!
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9/4/2007 - LWI wrote: 89 Points
Quite dark, with a little browning. Medium length and medium body, some structure. Good+, but nothing spectacular.
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5/18/2007 - Bruno wrote: 89 Points
Agree with Duchamp below. 97 appears to be over hyped (at least with the di neri).
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5/18/2007 - SPierson wrote: 90 Points
Agree w/ Duchamp...lovely and well-balanced but fading quickly. Not as big as other '97's.
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5/17/2007 - duchamp wrote: 89 Points
Rusty/ruby and showing signs of it age, very herbal and musty on the nose with hints red fruit, sage and game, palate is smooth and balanced but also showing some age, lots of juicy red fruit melting into menthol and white pepper, long lingering finish, very barolo like
Another 97 Brunello that is not living up to its end of the bargain. It's a good wine just not the super fantastic vintage that WS claimed it was. Moreover, more bottle age isn't going to help this one, it's already starting to turn. I going to start selling my 97 Brunellos.
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3/5/2007 - Mpoob wrote: 92 Points
Rich, international style wine. Great balance, good drink. Could take more cellar time as it evoled greatly after one hour plus of decanting.
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2/11/2007 - paulg936 wrote: 95 Points
Woinderful; paired with Osso Buca and the combination was superb. Comment by the other three wine-lover couples was "a perfect match". My third bottle with similar results - wish I had more.
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1/27/2007 - trankin wrote:
Peter Pratt's Luguresque Offline - Italian Table (Peter Pratt's Inn - Yorktown Heights): Tight, dark and brooding on the nose. On the palate, this is elegant but tight. Opened up as the evening wore on. Dark, structured, and acidic.
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11/21/2006 - Jay A wrote: 89 Points
Pleasant and nice but a little simplistic for such a highly regarded year. It had nice red cherry fruit that was both sweet and sour. The texture and flow was nice. Tannins were fleshy and refined. On the face of it a good wine. Just no complexity. No 'wow' factor. To be honest, I could have been drinking a well made $15-$20 Chianti, which there is nothing wrong with, but I would expect more from a Brunello.
Roast chicken, french fries and fried zucchini blossoms.
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5/25/2006 - MC wrote:
was outclassed at dinner last night by the 90 Castelgiocado. big wine, with good fruit, lots of tannin, and an earthy element to it, but not there with the best brunellos. B-
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4/16/2006 - DougLee wrote: 88 Points
Purple with some garnet. Very beautiful, pungent nose of flowers, mulling spices, and blackberries. Tight and unyielding for the most part on the palate, eventually exhibiting some dark cherry and licorice notes. Way too young.
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3/19/2006 - slugme wrote: 88 Points
Not a lot of charm in this one. Closer to RP's 86 than JS's 95.
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3/1/2006 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 95 Points
Superb!, gorgeous mouth feel, silky, plush, perfect structure, nice classic flavors, a winner, plenty of life left in this one
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1/29/2006 - MikeZ wrote:
Modern. Nose of game, herbs provence, slight cedar/spice. Expansive on the palate with black cherry, maybe a hint of dark chocolate...needs much more time. To date, my '97 Brunello experience have been much more that they need considerable more time than they are roasted...we'll see, I guess.
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10/25/2004 - dwmortara@gmail.com wrote:
The cork was wet nearly to the end, with only 2-3mm dry. Will have to watch this on the remaining bottles. Initially the wine is mute - with almost no nose. The color is red, with no evident browning that seems more typical of Brunello (does the name reflect this?). For the first 30 minutes, I worry again about my over-investment in '97 Brunello, as a result of all the hype the vintage enjoyed. Whether the passage of 30 minutes, or getting out some bread and olive oil, was the reason, the wine changed completely. Now it expresses primarily black fruit and a taste of beef broth. The tannins are moderate, but sufficient to make me think this wine has a long life ahead. This is evidently a modern Brunello.
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