1997 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate

Community Tasting Notes (61) Avg Score: 91.9 points

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  7/7/2023 - DanielAVTL Likes this wine: 92 Points

  * Opened 90 minutes before dinner (paired perfectly with Cavatelli, chorizo and mushroom ragu), no decant.
  
  I'm a big fan of the legendary 1997 tuscan vintage, and my recent experiences continue to convince me that the wines are holding up beautifully at 25+ years. In that sense, the '97 Riserva Grandi Annate was no exception.
  
  Right off the bat, the cuvee displayed an impressive, deep, dark color, not suggestive of advanced age.
  
  On the nose - stunning dark fruit, plum, licorice, game, berries and forest floor. From the very first whiff this was absolutely enticing, showing great complexity and seductiveness.
  
  On the palate - medium to full bodied, very round, deep and layered with delicious fruit, espresso, pepper and again, plum. Tannins are silky soft, obviously fading at this point but still firm enough to hold the wine together very nicely. Very good 20+ second finish with lingering dark fruit and anise.
  
  Overall, a very impressive effort for a mature wine showing great presence, structure, balance, complexity and finesse. This gets a very well deserved 92 points on the night.
  
  Drink up now while it's still wonderful, because with the state of it's tannins, there will be a decline over the next few years.

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  12/24/2021 - mcktuck wrote: 92 Points

  Out of magnum. Color shows very little hint of it's age. The first pour was almost claret-like--cigar box, cedar, plenty of structure. With a little air this shows some more classic notes of dried cherries, anise seed, fig, tomato leaf. This bottle still showed surprisingly youthful, and the tannic structure suggests plenty of life ahead.

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  9/10/2020 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:

  still some life left in this one. very good.

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  2/23/2019 - portman63 Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Still showing great fruit all the way through and medium to full bodied. Not surprising that this is showing so well now. I think it holds up against any traditional Brunello from 97 which some thought was a good but early-showing vintage. This still has 3-5 years in it, I believe.

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  12/8/2018 - Heff#1 Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Boom. Amazingly strong for 21 years out. Drank over hours. Could go on for >10 years

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