April 16, 2023 - Very smooth. Has not lost anything over tge 20 years in the bottle
December 21, 2022 - Drink now. This is a bit past it’s prime, as is evident by the lack of finish, but it still presents well. Medium ruby with a tinge of tawny and medium+ intensity aromas of red cherries, strawberries, cranberries, chocolate, and cedar with hints of an herbaceous, minty quality. This wine is dry with medium body, high acidity, medium tannin, and medium alcohol. Medium+ intensity flavors of plum and chocolate are the most expressive on the palate. It has lost something on the finish, but still very enjoyable with chocolate and worked as a lighter-end option with beef tenderloin.
August 8, 2022 - A year since last bottle. Italian restaurant, poured into decanter. This bottle showed better than any of the others we've had. Cherries, red berries, tobacco and spices. Medium bodied and well balanced. Tannins mostly resolved in a good way. Earthy and fragrant, enjoyed by all.
March 30, 2022 - Drink now; slightly past prime. Aromas of flavors of red fruits with a dry mouth feel and relatively subtle tannins.
Wonderful with dark chocolate.
August 28, 2021 - At restaurant so no decant. Poured and allowed to sit while dinner was prepared. Like previous bottles this was red fruits, red berries, spice, tobacco and some tomato leaf. Medium bodied, with fully resolved tannins this bottle showed well with pasta. Still time left for well stored bottles.
May 9, 2021 - At restaurant with friends. No decant, but poured into glasses and left for 30 minutes. Red fruits, cherry, tomato leaf, garrigue and spice. Smooth and balanced, went nicely with food. Perhaps at peak or just past.
October 20, 2020 - Second half of bottle opened 2 days earlier, gassed, re-corked and kept in cellar. Not a lot of difference from days earlier. Maybe a little more fruit forward, smoother and more integration. Perhaps at peak or maybe just past.
October 18, 2020 - First time with this wine. Decanted and left for 3 hours. Dark brick red with a lighter rim. Nose of sweet red berries, tomato, and spices. On the palate, sweet red cherry, plum, clove and a little forest floor. Fully mature and resolved, medium bodied, this was enjoyable and easy to drink. With black truffle pasta.
August 18, 2018 - At Fabio Cucina in NYC, the wine was opened, decanted through a vinturi and allowed to sit for over an hour. The nose was was dark red fruit. The palate was dark cherry, red plums, tobacco and a hint of spice. The finish was moderate and very smooth. Tannins are fully integrated. If you have them in your cellar drink them as I do not see age improving this wine at all. It is very nice bottle of brunello but I believe it is at its drinking plateau.
February 5, 2016 - Chewy Brunello. Dried cranberry and cherry, dried fennel and thyme, mineral through and through; could have used some more acidity for grip though. Almost needs to take on food, but what a great bottle for the evening table.