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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 143 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Mike1369 on 7/15/2023 & rated 92 points: Good wine. I need to drink my other one soon. It’s definitely past it’s prime, much like myself. That being said, while it is certainly a far cry from the 97 montsoli, it was still enjoyable. Lot of sediment and color was typical of a 26 year old wine. Various fruit up front with some granit,tobacco, cocoa and tartare on the back. Nice finish, good not great. (876 views) | | | Tasted by HL1987 on 4/6/2023: TCA (919 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 9/24/2022 & rated 91 points: Dark garnet in color, slightly cloudy with clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of mature, ripe fruits aromas of cherries, blueberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, leather, tobacco, mushrooms, tar, cocoa, minerals, balsamic & a hint of cedar in the background. Full bodied with very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries & plums with mushrooms, minerals & herbs. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 25 years of age, it is at or near its peak of development, so drink up as it is not going to get any better! (1625 views) | | | Tasted by ghramos on 10/3/2021 & rated 93 points: Decanted for about 45 min. Had lots of berries flavors with velvet finish. Had the dark orange old wine color with some cloudiness. Beautiful nose, it positively surprised me overall, I wished I had another. (2505 views) | | | Tasted by norsktorsk on 5/2/2021 & rated 94 points: some cloudiness but great nose and flavor after 30 min air (2632 views) | | | Tasted by lepetitchateau on 2/28/2021 & rated 82 points: Awful. Not storage, just bad. (2505 views) | | | Tasted by theharve on 2/7/2021 & rated 90 points: fading but still good (2270 views) | | | Tasted by 52winelover on 11/25/2020 & rated 88 points: Maybe a little late, but still brought memories of a great trip to Tuscany in pre-Covid times. Wonderful. (2026 views) | | | Tasted by europat55 on 6/27/2019 & rated 91 points: Nose: A- Palate: B++
My #2, Group's #2 (68 pts). Tasted blind in a flight of Altesino Brunellos from 1988-2001 (3691 views) | | | Tasted by PhrmDoc on 5/5/2019: Well past prime. Fed it to the sink. (2877 views) | | | Tasted by 52winelover on 12/16/2018 & rated 88 points: Waited too long. Lost its brightness. (3184 views) | | | Tasted by Eric on 11/27/2018 & rated 88 points: Disappointing. Perfect provenance. Perfect cork. Opened up very oxidatively, tired smelling, with a very heavy dose of pickle juice. The palate was decent, so my hope was that with some further aeration this would blow off and improve which it did. Marginally. However I expected more. (4465 views) | | | Tasted by dthrash111 on 10/13/2018 & rated 92 points: My wife and I really enjoyed this bottle. I was concerned it was going to be past it’s prime, but I was pleasantly surprised by the remaining fruit and very soft, but well integrated tannin. I like old wine flavors, so I’d it’s definitely time to drink this now before it’s over the hill. But if you still have a bottle that’s been properly stored, I think you’ll be happy with it. (3185 views) | | | Tasted by JM_MadTown on 5/19/2018 & rated 87 points: While the bottle is still enjoyable, it is in serious decline. It still has some dried cherry fruit and saddle leather on the finish. But it is fading. (2568 views) | | | Tasted by JM_MadTown on 3/29/2018: The nose on this bottle indicated that it could be corked, unfortunately. However, on the palate it was very good. So I’m enjoying it despite the bad nose. Obviously, a very mature Brunello with nice cherry fruit, saddle leather and a medium finish. (2443 views) | | | Tasted by GA Old World Guy on 2/13/2018 & rated 91 points: Perfectly stored bottle. Good nose...loads of sour cherry and some leather. It was a good bottle of wine, but was outpaced by the '98 Pomerol we had next to it. If I had another bottle, then I would start to consume it. I don't see it getting better. (2292 views) | | | Tasted by Cgrant1029 on 11/19/2017 & rated 90 points: Enjoyed it, Probably not getting better so pop it open (2593 views) | | | Tasted by JM_MadTown on 11/19/2017 & rated 91 points: I really like this 20 year old Brunello. Lovely dark red fruits, including dried cherries, and savory notes of saddle leather, dried herbs and a medium finish. (2271 views) | | | Tasted by pigdaddy on 5/12/2017 & rated 92 points: decanted & served (purchased on release, consumed in restaurant, stemware on the smaller side). showing just terrific, supple & balanced, definitive brunello at peak with apparent broad window; these bottles have been significantly above grade in the past few examples consumed. (3113 views) | | | Tasted by Nerdy Earth Boy on 4/16/2017 & rated 92 points: Absolutely beautiful! Great floral aroma immediately upon opening translated into a super smooth 20 year aged Brunello for Easter dinner. (2932 views) | | | Tasted by IPSE on 3/15/2017: Slight oxidation on the nose. Plum and leather. The acids line limps through the mid-palate. Has that dark, maraschino cherry on the palate. Nice tannin grip. Might be just slightly over the hill at this point. (3007 views) | | | Tasted by Nerdy Earth Boy on 2/14/2017 & rated 92 points: Even better w a long decant and 2 days in the fridge! Just absolutely lucious 20 year old Brunello from a perfect Vintage. An outstanding Valentine's Day choice ❤️ (3101 views) | | | Tasted by Nerdy Earth Boy on 1/23/2017 & rated 91 points: The 1997 Brunello Vintage is my personal favorite! This Altesino delivers a SOLID performance. Even better after a 24-hour decant. Agree with the comments from other recent reviews. (3260 views) | | | Tasted by wineserg on 1/8/2017 & rated 90 points: Clear rich ruby color, losing fruitiness, but very smooth, drinkable with medium finish.
The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant and tobacco. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. (2278 views) | | | Tasted by up4wine on 1/2/2017 & rated 91 points: Plenty of earth and leather. There is still a lot of underlying fruit that gives a fun midpalate after the wine has aired for an hour or so. I would not say this bottle was flat and over the hill, just yet, but it was also not bright and exciting. An excellent wine, just not awe inspiring. (2247 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Altesino Producer website
U.S. Importer (addt'l info)
Source: VinConnect http://vinconnect.com
The Altesino winery overlooks the breathtaking UNESCO-heritage landscape of south-central Tuscany in the Montalcino region not far from Siena. Its beautiful estate is crowned with the 15th century Palazzo Altesi, which is the centerpiece of its winery operations. Additional modern winemaking structures are integrated into the hillside alongside it.
Altesino’s flagship wine is its single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcino “Montosoli,” made from 100% Sangiovese grapes cultivated in its most prestigious vineyard. An ambassador for Italian wine around the world and one of Montalcino’s most sought-after wines, the “Montosoli” Brunello repeatedly earns glowing reviews from the world’s top wine publications. Robert Parker called Altesino’s Montosoli “one of the most distinct and profound wines, with delicate floral and mineral nuances that are elegantly interwoven within a thicker textural consistency.” As Altesino’s flagship wine it best exemplifies the unrivaled elegance, richness and drinkability of the estate’s style.
Altesino embodies tradition and history, and at the same time perceptive innovation. Where international renown for Brunello di Montalcino has nudged many winemakers towards conservatism, Altesino has always blazed new wine trails. Founded in 1972 by Milanese entrepreneur Giulio Consonno, in 1975 the winery was the first in Brunello to introduce the concept of single-vineyard crus with its famous Montosoli bottling. The winery was also the first to experiment with French barrique in 1979, yielding wines with more fruit and complexity – a critical turning point in Brunello’s history. And, in 1985, Altesino pioneered the concept of futures in Brunello, or the selling of wines before they are bottles or released.
When Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini bought the winery in 2002, her decision to keep the only winemaker that Altesino has ever known, Claudio Basla, was central to their ongoing success delivering consistently high quality wines in the Altesino style. To supplement the team she hired Guido Orzolesi, who works as Marketing Director alongside Claudio and Enologist Paolo Caciorgna.
In addition to the Montosoli and the regular Brunello and Brunello Riserva made from Sangiovese, the team also grows several other varieties and produces Rosso di Montalcino, Super Tuscans Palazzo Altesi and Alte d’Altesi, Rosso and Bianco I.G.T., Vin Santo d’Altesi, and a selection of grappa, brandy, and extra virgin olive oil.
Should you visit Tuscany, tours of Altesino’s vineyards and cellar — bringing you through the vine rows before you visit the winemaking and maturation cellars — can be arranged here.SangioveseSANGIOVESE: (Pronounced "sahn-joh-vhe-se").
Sangiovese - Italy's claim to fame, the pride of Tuscany. Traditionally made, the wines are full of cherry fruit, earth, and cedar. It produces Chianti (Classico), Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano, Montefalco Rosso, and many others. Sangiovese is also the backbone in many of the acclaimed, modern-styled "Super-Tuscans", where it is blended with Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc) and typically aged in French oak barrels, resulting a wine primed for the international market in the style of a typical California cabernet: oaky, high-alcohol, and a ripe, jammy, fruit-forward profile.[16]
Semi-classic grape grown in the Tuscany region of Italy. Used to produce the Chianti and other Tuscan red wines. Has many clonal versions, two of which seem to predominate. The Sangiovese Grosso clone Brunello variety is used for the dark red, traditionally powerful and slow-maturing "Brunello di Montalcino" wine. The other is the Sangiovese Piccolo, also known under the historical synonym name Sangioveto, used for standard Chianti Classico DOC wines. Old vine derived wine is often used in the better versions, needing several years ageing to reach peak. A third clone, Morellino, is used in a popular wine blend with the same name found in the southern part of the province. Recent efforts in California with clones of this variety are very promising, producing medium-bodied reds with rich cherry or plumlike flavors and aromas. Among the available clonal versions are R6 and R7, derived from the Montalcino region of Italy, having average productivity/ripening and producing small berries on medium size clusters. R10 and R24 are well-recommended. R23, listed as deriving from the Emilia-Romagna region, has good vigor with medium-small clusters with earlier ripening. R102 derives from the Montepulciano region and reported to have average vigor with moderate productivity that results in higher sugar levels and good acidity from medium-small berries on medium-small clusters. Has synonym name of Nielluccio where grown in Corsica.Italy Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorTuscany Tuscany (ItalianMade.com) | TuscanytMontalcino Montalcino websiteBrunello di Montalcino Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino (Official DOCG website) |
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