Slow oxed all day then I poured a small glass. The cork looked brand new only saturated about 1/4”. So dark that you can’t see any sign of age. The nose explodes with notes of cherry, eucalyptus, cardamom, fresh cut flowers and cinnamon. Still has enough tannin to keep this young and lively. Sweet cherry cough syrup, bitter orange and barnyard notes. This is what a great Brunello is all about. In a great spot but probably can age for many more years. Sadly only one more left. Tonight just shining. 94-95. I think I already won the Super Bowl. LOL. I kept one glass to revisit tonight. The wine has not budged the tannins are a bit smoother maybe enhancing the drinking experience. There are no great wines only great bottles. This was a great bottle. Maybe a point or two higher.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, clean violet, almost no signs of age. Open nose with classic BdM notes of plum, saddle leather, camphor. Bold, masculine palate, still a prevalent amount of black and then red fruit, underpinned by an earthy minerality. Very long finish, with really grippy tannins, as well as a noticeable burn (label says 15% and I could easily believe it's up closer to 15.5%). Built like a true Riserva, this is showing beautifully right now, somewhere towards the start of a long peak window. Surely at least a 25-year wine, and 30 years or more wouldn't surprise me.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a gorgeous wine. We served it with Casarecce con Salsiccia and what a beautiful pairing. We tasted the '06 Riserva at Capanna in 2014 alongside multiple vintages of the Normale, including the 2006, and the 2004 Riserva. Riserva wines are only made in excellent vintages and both 2004 and 2006 were excellent vintages in Montalcino. Gorgeous wines, all of them, but I was a little worried the '06 Riserva wine had too much alcohol. Still, because '06 was an excellent vintage, when this showed up at the local retailer a year later I grabbed 6. I took a chance that it would come together with age, and it did exactly that. Normally I would give a wine like this a long slow-ox in the bottle, opening in the AM and letting it breath all day. I forgot! So I decanted it for 4 hours before serving and wow, did it come around. Fermented in steel and aged in botti so any oak influence is subtle. I won't rush on my remaining bottles, but good to know how enjoyable it is now with a good food pairing and a decant.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Late night session at Maison Dakota. Poured through Vinturi into decanter. Drank over 3 hours. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose medium+ intensity, some slight VA that blows off, then aromas of classic red cherries, darker red cherries, toast, sandalwood, mint, earth. Developed. On the palate, dry, good high acidity, high alcohol (15%), chewy high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of classic pure sour red cherries, red licorice, baking spices, sweet sandalwood, earth, bit of mint. Long finish. Very good quality. Started off a tad unbalanced, but found its footing in the decanter after an hour plus. Not sure if it's me, but seems like there is much oak influence here? The toast and sandalwood is definitely there for me. Though apparently this Riserva is aged in Slavonian oak casks of 10 to 25 hl for over 40 months. Vineyards well located around Montosoli in Montalcino North.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a magnum. Brick on the rim. Started out a little unbalanced, but eventually mellowed pretty nicely. Definitely an old world Profile. Could be a good steak wine, but also quite pleasant sipping by itself.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First of 2 from an auction lot at about $65@. Hour and half decant preceded by a 1 oz taste upon opening, and the wine is immediately singing. Nose of strawberries, funk and dried spices. Medium to dark with orange notes, medium to full-bodied, thick legs. Taste, however, was dominated by cherry, some funk, the spices and blood orange. After the decant, smoke, cigar box, iron/rust, blood and tar tasting notes came out. Huge but not unpleasant tannins, lightening bolt acidity. Despite the 15% abv, not a hint of heat on the palate. More on the modern side, but not on the far end of the dial. Second night some tomato notes came out with our homemade pizza. Impeccably structured and perfectly balanced. Super savory, makes you wish they'd sell it in snack packs at your local big box retailer. This is early in a great drinking window that should go on for quite a long time. Great wine, great qpr.
My primary wine love has always been Napa cabs, but in the past year or two, I think that Brunellos have overtaken them, despite the so-so scores for many on CT (you have a hard time finding something scored better than 93, whereas myriad Cabs exceed that.). I've had great success at paying $30-50 for good-very good BdMs, and $50-100 for exceptional ones.
Excellent ruby color. Raspberry nose. With hints of leather and red fruit hard candy, floral and spices. High acid and tannic. Decanted ~30 min. Paired with meatballs and Cesar salad.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear deep ruby with garnet rim; clean medium nose of cedar, leather, sage and raspberries; pfn with addition of black licorice and cocoa; medium plus body; high tannins; high acidity; medium plus finish; dry; luscious, velvety wine with great intensity and complexity; drinking beautifully right now - wish I’d bought another few bottles
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At opening, ruby with slight garnet. Nose of herbs, oak, dusty cherry, licorice, chocolate, soil, orange rind. Tannins have settled down, medium plus acidity, sweet finish. Tannins need more time to integrate, but this is really good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Benvenuto Brunello - Toronto 2014 (Toronto, ON): Slightly more open and more appealing than the previous two, but that's still not saying much. High toned vanilla and alcohol on the nose. Almost Amarone like. Palate reveals dates, alcohol, lots of tannin, and again insufficient acid. Sadly for a Riserva the finish was quite short.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose was dark and brooding with ripe spiced cherries, herbal tones and sweet floral notes. On the palate, waves of velvety dark fruit saturated the senses and turned tart with a biting Italian bitternesss, yet it remained beautiful in it's structured personality. The finish was long with tart cherry and licorice. It's a beautiful young Brunello in need of time in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted this for two hours, but it was still very closed. Amazing to me just how long this one took to awaken from its deep sleep. To start with there was little nose, save for a musty dry heather whiff, and no palette to speak of. Finally by hour 5 it started to do its stuff, and some warmer but subtle fruit began to emerge, long with a touch of chocolate and tobacco. By hour 6 it was a good Brunello. Remarkable just how slow moving this one is. So, will keep trying a bottle every 12-18 months or so from here to see how it evolves, for it surely will.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped, decanted for approx 1hour, delicious and beautiful from the start. Elegant and pretty is how I would describe the wine. Drank with sirloin steak and sautéed mushrooms, it was heavenly. I have 10 other bottles, although delicious now, will let then sit for a while before I revisit. A fabulous representation of BdiM
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
clear, redish in color. blackberry, plum, warm air on the nose. cherry, tobacco, wet soil, vanilla, oak on the palate. medium acid and tannins on this lingering finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Poured as part of the K&L Italian wine tasting. Decanted and allowed to breath for nearly five hours. Nice to compare this wine against the 2007 Casanova di Neri TN BdM that preceded this wine at the tasting. (New world vs. old world styles; '07 vs. '06, and non-riserva vs. riserva). The Capanna possess good dark color. Although both wines are rich, the Capannna has a tighter bandwidth of flavors probably reflecting their "old world" style. E.g., I noticed more sour cherry and plum in this wine, but less of the outright floral-ness and dark berry flavors of the '07 Casanova. Neither right nor wrong, just a matter of styles, vintages, riserva barrel aging, etc. Anyway, this is a well structured wine. Good fruit. Nice medium tannins; not at all hot. Alcohol is 15 percent. $69.99 a bottle. Wine Enthusiast rated this wine 96 points - just one point below the Casanova, which from my perspective is qualitatively and statistically meaningless. Really quite nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Italian Wine Masters (Metropolitan Pavilion): The nose showed dark, sweet red berries, herbs, cedar and an airy pine nettle note. On the palate, it was full, velvety and balanced with ripe red berries and spice against a firm lurking structure. The finish was long with mouth-coating tannin showing at the close. It was a total joy to drink and a bottle that will find its way into my cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/11/2024 - repoper wrote: 95 Points
Slow oxed all day then I poured a small glass. The cork looked brand new only saturated about 1/4”. So dark that you can’t see any sign of age. The nose explodes with notes of cherry, eucalyptus, cardamom, fresh cut flowers and cinnamon. Still has enough tannin to keep this young and lively. Sweet cherry cough syrup, bitter orange and barnyard notes. This is what a great Brunello is all about. In a great spot but probably can age for many more years. Sadly only one more left. Tonight just shining. 94-95. I think I already won the Super Bowl. LOL.
I kept one glass to revisit tonight. The wine has not budged the tannins are a bit smoother maybe enhancing the drinking experience. There are no great wines only great bottles. This was a great bottle. Maybe a point or two higher.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2023 - finlero Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep, clean violet, almost no signs of age. Open nose with classic BdM notes of plum, saddle leather, camphor. Bold, masculine palate, still a prevalent amount of black and then red fruit, underpinned by an earthy minerality. Very long finish, with really grippy tannins, as well as a noticeable burn (label says 15% and I could easily believe it's up closer to 15.5%). Built like a true Riserva, this is showing beautifully right now, somewhere towards the start of a long peak window. Surely at least a 25-year wine, and 30 years or more wouldn't surprise me.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2022 - winespine Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a gorgeous wine. We served it with Casarecce con Salsiccia and what a beautiful pairing. We tasted the '06 Riserva at Capanna in 2014 alongside multiple vintages of the Normale, including the 2006, and the 2004 Riserva. Riserva wines are only made in excellent vintages and both 2004 and 2006 were excellent vintages in Montalcino. Gorgeous wines, all of them, but I was a little worried the '06 Riserva wine had too much alcohol. Still, because '06 was an excellent vintage, when this showed up at the local retailer a year later I grabbed 6. I took a chance that it would come together with age, and it did exactly that. Normally I would give a wine like this a long slow-ox in the bottle, opening in the AM and letting it breath all day. I forgot! So I decanted it for 4 hours before serving and wow, did it come around. Fermented in steel and aged in botti so any oak influence is subtle. I won't rush on my remaining bottles, but good to know how enjoyable it is now with a good food pairing and a decant.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2021 - Greg_O wrote: 87 Points
Not a great showing. Too much alc. Has not aged gracefully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2020 - GFischmann Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking well with nice balance with good balance of acid and residual tannins. Nice evolution of the secondary and tertiary flavors. Great wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2019 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
Late night session at Maison Dakota. Poured through Vinturi into decanter. Drank over 3 hours. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose medium+ intensity, some slight VA that blows off, then aromas of classic red cherries, darker red cherries, toast, sandalwood, mint, earth. Developed.
On the palate, dry, good high acidity, high alcohol (15%), chewy high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of classic pure sour red cherries, red licorice, baking spices, sweet sandalwood, earth, bit of mint. Long finish.
Very good quality. Started off a tad unbalanced, but found its footing in the decanter after an hour plus.
Not sure if it's me, but seems like there is much oak influence here? The toast and sandalwood is definitely there for me. Though apparently this Riserva is aged in Slavonian oak casks of 10 to 25 hl for over 40 months.
Vineyards well located around Montosoli in Montalcino North.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2019 - EricLi wrote: 92 Points
From a magnum. Brick on the rim. Started out a little unbalanced, but eventually mellowed pretty nicely. Definitely an old world Profile. Could be a good steak wine, but also quite pleasant sipping by itself.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2019 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
First of 2 from an auction lot at about $65@. Hour and half decant preceded by a 1 oz taste upon opening, and the wine is immediately singing. Nose of strawberries, funk and dried spices. Medium to dark with orange notes, medium to full-bodied, thick legs. Taste, however, was dominated by cherry, some funk, the spices and blood orange. After the decant, smoke, cigar box, iron/rust, blood and tar tasting notes came out. Huge but not unpleasant tannins, lightening bolt acidity. Despite the 15% abv, not a hint of heat on the palate. More on the modern side, but not on the far end of the dial. Second night some tomato notes came out with our homemade pizza. Impeccably structured and perfectly balanced. Super savory, makes you wish they'd sell it in snack packs at your local big box retailer. This is early in a great drinking window that should go on for quite a long time. Great wine, great qpr.
My primary wine love has always been Napa cabs, but in the past year or two, I think that Brunellos have overtaken them, despite the so-so scores for many on CT (you have a hard time finding something scored better than 93, whereas myriad Cabs exceed that.). I've had great success at paying $30-50 for good-very good BdMs, and $50-100 for exceptional ones.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
2/1/2019 - Bellbx Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent ruby color. Raspberry nose. With hints of leather and red fruit hard candy, floral and spices. High acid and tannic. Decanted ~30 min. Paired with meatballs and Cesar salad.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2018 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clear deep ruby with garnet rim; clean medium nose of cedar, leather, sage and raspberries; pfn with addition of black licorice and cocoa; medium plus body; high tannins; high acidity; medium plus finish; dry; luscious, velvety wine with great intensity and complexity; drinking beautifully right now - wish I’d bought another few bottles
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2018 - dcmabush Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding wine. Great fruit with a food pleasing finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2017 - shurpa14 Likes this wine:
At opening, ruby with slight garnet. Nose of herbs, oak, dusty cherry, licorice, chocolate, soil, orange rind. Tannins have settled down, medium plus acidity, sweet finish. Tannins need more time to integrate, but this is really good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2015 - DRoesing Likes this wine: 92 Points
full body, good to drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2015 - mdobro wrote: flawed
corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2014 - svpandae wrote: 92 Points
Great wine. Needs time. Hold.
Day 2 - in the zone! 93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 89 Points
Benvenuto Brunello - Toronto 2014 (Toronto, ON): Slightly more open and more appealing than the previous two, but that's still not saying much. High toned vanilla and alcohol on the nose. Almost Amarone like. Palate reveals dates, alcohol, lots of tannin, and again insufficient acid. Sadly for a Riserva the finish was quite short.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
The nose was dark and brooding with ripe spiced cherries, herbal tones and sweet floral notes. On the palate, waves of velvety dark fruit saturated the senses and turned tart with a biting Italian bitternesss, yet it remained beautiful in it's structured personality. The finish was long with tart cherry and licorice. It's a beautiful young Brunello in need of time in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2013 - Hermosabritdad wrote: 86 Points
Decanted this for two hours, but it was still very closed. Amazing to me just how long this one took to awaken from its deep sleep. To start with there was little nose, save for a musty dry heather whiff, and no palette to speak of. Finally by hour 5 it started to do its stuff, and some warmer but subtle fruit began to emerge, long with a touch of chocolate and tobacco. By hour 6 it was a good Brunello. Remarkable just how slow moving this one is. So, will keep trying a bottle every 12-18 months or so from here to see how it evolves, for it surely will.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2013 - The Bossman wrote: 92 Points
Popped, decanted for approx 1hour, delicious and beautiful from the start. Elegant and pretty is how I would describe the wine. Drank with sirloin steak and sautéed mushrooms, it was heavenly. I have 10 other bottles, although delicious now, will let then sit for a while before I revisit. A fabulous representation of BdiM
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2012 - affordableCollector wrote: 90 Points
clear, redish in color. blackberry, plum, warm air on the nose. cherry, tobacco, wet soil, vanilla, oak on the palate. medium acid and tannins on this lingering finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2012 - europat55 wrote: 87 Points
K&L Grand ItalianTasting (K&L Wine Merchants, Redwood City, California): Dark red color. Medium nose with a little bit of heat. Average palate, young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2012 - John Dunlap wrote: 93 Points
Poured as part of the K&L Italian wine tasting. Decanted and allowed to breath for nearly five hours. Nice to compare this wine against the 2007 Casanova di Neri TN BdM that preceded this wine at the tasting. (New world vs. old world styles; '07 vs. '06, and non-riserva vs. riserva). The Capanna possess good dark color. Although both wines are rich, the Capannna has a tighter bandwidth of flavors probably reflecting their "old world" style. E.g., I noticed more sour cherry and plum in this wine, but less of the outright floral-ness and dark berry flavors of the '07 Casanova. Neither right nor wrong, just a matter of styles, vintages, riserva barrel aging, etc. Anyway, this is a well structured wine. Good fruit. Nice medium tannins; not at all hot. Alcohol is 15 percent. $69.99 a bottle. Wine Enthusiast rated this wine 96 points - just one point below the Casanova, which from my perspective is qualitatively and statistically meaningless. Really quite nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 96 Points
The Italian Wine Masters (Metropolitan Pavilion): The nose showed dark, sweet red berries, herbs, cedar and an airy pine nettle note. On the palate, it was full, velvety and balanced with ripe red berries and spice against a firm lurking structure. The finish was long with mouth-coating tannin showing at the close. It was a total joy to drink and a bottle that will find its way into my cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment