October 17, 2015 - From double magnum. Feels like it's still on the way up, but probably due to the format. Complex nose, dark fruit, leather, spices, a bit of coffee and orange peel. At that nice point with both emerging maturity and freshness. Good balance and length, still solid structure with slightly drying tannins. Excellent brunello.
July 21, 2013 - Great wine, at peak right now. Decanted this in order to avoid the slime, which I dumped in the sink. Same as the previous bottles.
April 20, 2013 - Served with an Italian flavored dish and was remarkable. Wish I had more. Probably wouldn't hold on to it much longer though.
November 5, 2010 - Another excellent bottle of this wine, although one again there was the stange mucus (quercetin?) in the bottom of the bottle. I was expecting it, so I stood the bottle up for a while before decanting it. The sludge remained in the bottle and I poured it into the sink to look at it and kind of wish I hadn't. It's really pretty nasty. Wine is delicious though. Fully mature now, but in no danger of decline anytime soon.
March 28, 2008 - Not decanted. Poured into shoulder and allowed to breathe for 2 hours. Consumed over the following 4 hours. Opaque ruby red. Aromas of sottobosco, soy, sandalwood, black cherry, spice, leather, plum. Brooding nose! Medium-full bodied, very firm tannins; gripping. Tastes like it was bottled yesterday! Black plums, sottobosco, spice, licorice, and hints of tar/asphalt on the palate. Moderate finish, ~30s, with dark fruit and spice.
This is nowhere near ready. Leave it for at least 3-5 years.
There are other CellarTracker comments about "white sludge" in the bottle. For mine, I had tartrates precipitating out of the wine, and it appears that this wine was rarely (ever?) racked or fined. No big deal. Lots of potential in this wine. Classic Sangiovese. 91+ points.
September 3, 2007 - Just like spencer, I found a little white-ish slime in my decanter funnel screen. By no means did it detact from this fab. Brunello.
Dark purple with strong cherry nose and definate game/animal scents and flavours. Silky tannis, great complexity and balance finishing long and interesting. Wish I had more.
August 31, 2007 - Earthy with beautiful, long finish. Not a blockbuster Brunello but tastes right. Very drinkable and gets softer and more mellow with air.
July 21, 2007 - Balanced, complex, ready-to-drink. Only problem was a strange white slime in the bottom of the bottle. Sounds like it may have been something called Quercetin. First time I've ever seen anything like that, and it was pretty disgusting, but I have to admit that the wine was delicious - just as good as the last (slime-free) bottle of it that I drank.
November 11, 2004 - Medium ruby colour. Aromas of cherry, orange rind, and minerals. Medium-full bodied with currant, spice, and orange rind. Moderate finish, ~30s.
September 30, 2004 - Decanted for two hours before drinking. Very dark purple. High acid, but exceptionally well balanced, with fine tannins and nicely integrated oak. Very ripe red fruit on the palate, and a great long finish. This wine had a distinctive character that I really liked. So far, I'm really loving the '99 Brunellos.