WCC 1990 Tuscan Reds

Three members (including me) of my Albany area group put together this tasting of 1990 Tuscan reds. We each contributed 5 bottles and ended up with a nice mix of producers and appellations.

With Risotto Cabernet con Fungi.

• 1990 Castello Banfi Summus 88 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Sant' Antimo

  Tasty, balanced, sour cherries. A pleasant wine.

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• 1990 Terrabianca Campaccio Toscana IGT Flawed

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Corked.

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• 1990 Antinori Chianti Classico Marchese Antinori Riserva 84 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Sour cherry nose. Tart, sour cherry palate. Not very appealing.

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• 1990 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Nice smoky red fruit nose. Excellent length. Tar and black fruit. WOTF.

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With Salad with Grilled Steak.

• 1990 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Stunning nose of red fruit with a hint of tangerine and spice. A delicious wine with terrific length. Wow! No sign of decline. I suspect it is at its peak now.

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• 1990 Antinori Tignanello 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Maybe the only wine of the night that could have used more air. At first, muted nose, tannic and dull. Opening slowly. Open 2 hours show a gorgeous licorice and cherries mid-palate with very good length.

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• 1990 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Smoky red fruit nose. Terrific sense of harmony. Clear WOTN so far.

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• 1990 Tenuta Col d'Orcia Olmaia Cabernet 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Big, smoky red fruit nose. Gorgeous fruit and spice. Seems more Tuscan than the Sassicaia. Another delicious wine drinking beautifully tonight.

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• 1990 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 97 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Vino da Tavola

  Big, unmistakably Cabernet nose of red currants really stands out in the tasting. A stunning wine. Even accounting for the difference in grapes, this wine stands out in this tasting. A truly great wine with a terrific sense of harmony. Great length. I could drink this all night! By far WOTN for me.

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With Sliced Duck Breast in some kind of berry sauce.

• 1990 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

  Another beauty. Lovely, smoky nose. Excellent length and harmony. Impressive.

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• 1990 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Classic Sangiovese. A beautiful, elegant wine. Probably at its peak now.

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• 1990 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 95 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Very young. Stunning nose. A very complex wine. Wow! This wine should improve for at least 5-8 more years

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With Pork Tenderloin in a nice mild brown sauce.

• 1990 Campogiovanni (San Felice) Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Elegant, lovely. Definitely one to drink now.

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• 1990 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Elegant, stunning. Fabulous and youthful. Sweet cherries. This and the Poggio Antico Riserva are the Brunellos of the night for me.

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• 1990 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Elegant, smooth. Chocolaty. Good wine.

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This tasting showed that 1990 is clearly a terrific vintage in Tuscany and that most of the wines are at or nearing their peak. Now is a good time to drink most wines from this vintage, especially the Sangiovese-based wines. For me, there was a consistent pleasure in these wines. Almost all of them in the 90-94 point range.