Wonderful brunello. Lacking any hint of toughness. Tasted like a perfectly aged rust colored brunello. Seems to be perfect time to open as well. All at dinner agreed it was delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Now this is more like it. Black tea, tart cherry, leather, forest floor. This really opened up over several hours in the decanter. The wine still has some tannin and acid, so a well stored bottle should have no problem doing five more years. Actually this seems much younger than 18 years. I had the 2004 recently and this is the clear winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tastes of black cherries backed by exotic bitter tea, juicy acidity, and a long, supple finish. Fresh with no sign of bricking. Not the most complex of 1997 Brunellos, but quite enjoyable, especially with food. Ready to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking lovely right now. The aromas are there, but somewhat restrained. It is in the flavor that this wine excels. Little or no tannins, smooth and medium-long on the palate, delicious with plenty of fruit but not as cleanly delineated as the 1997 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino. This actually tasted muddy beside it, but only in comparison. (The Valdicava is remarkable!)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet and brick with medium viscosity in the glass. Berries, smoke and pepper on the nose. Secondary bramble and flint. Med-full body with a high stack of thin, balanced layers of nearly every berry imaginable. Secondary cigarillo smoke, herbs and pepper. Sturdy acidic backbone and superb mouthfeel. Long finish. Pleasing, soft oak and tannin integration. Delicious with food or on its own.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking nicely now. Benefits from decanting. Not a particularly giving Brunello, but mellow, medium bodied, nice long finish. Well made and enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino 1997: A lovely garnet red colour with the intensity of youth. Crushed berry fruits on the nose, with smoke and charcoal evidence of oak maturation, and some aromatic, rose petal notes. Ripe, full-bodied and with a rich edge to a pleasing texture in the mouth. Nice berry fruit flavours. Acidity is nicely balanced and not as prominent as many other Brunellos. Ripe tannins provide some grip and softly coat the mouth on the finish. A modern, approachable style. 16.5/20 (January 2003)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ready to drink. An elegant and balanced Brunello. This is a classy glass of wine. Delicious. Drinking very well right now, but will improve. Plenty of fruit in perfect balance. Will rate higher later. -JBL
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great wine, my wotf - enjoyed earlier this week as part of a flight of Italian Montalcinos at the monthly Hickory Wine Club meeting. Delicious, very fruit forward, dark, still big but also velvety and well balanced with soft tannins - in a prime drinking window. Poured and aerated in glass for about two hours prior to consumption. Too expensive to be any kind of a reasonable QPR but I highly recommend this wine if you can find it, it is just that good. Nose fruit forward with a mix of black fruit, red cherry and blackberry.Primary flavors consisted of a mix of berries, dark fruit, black pepper and smoke - all just very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/20/2015 - ben2e wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful brunello. Lacking any hint of toughness. Tasted like a perfectly aged rust colored brunello. Seems to be perfect time to open as well. All at dinner agreed it was delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2015 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 91 Points
Now this is more like it. Black tea, tart cherry, leather, forest floor. This really opened up over several hours in the decanter. The wine still has some tannin and acid, so a well stored bottle should have no problem doing five more years. Actually this seems much younger than 18 years. I had the 2004 recently and this is the clear winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/7/2015 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
Mature glass of brunello, licorice, cherries, mocha. Long lasting on the palate, medium to full bodied, supple and smooth. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2014 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
Tastes of black cherries backed by exotic bitter tea, juicy acidity, and a long, supple finish. Fresh with no sign of bricking. Not the most complex of 1997 Brunellos, but quite enjoyable, especially with food. Ready to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2014 - JoeCarl wrote:
Smooth
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2013 - Lipsman wrote: 92 Points
Drinking lovely right now. The aromas are there, but somewhat restrained. It is in the flavor that this wine excels. Little or no tannins, smooth and medium-long on the palate, delicious with plenty of fruit but not as cleanly delineated as the 1997 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino. This actually tasted muddy beside it, but only in comparison. (The Valdicava is remarkable!)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2012 - Dar3 wrote: 93 Points
Great quality brunello. This is drinking well now, but I could easily see this lasting the next 3-4 years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2012 - christophee Likes this wine: 94 Points
Garnet and brick with medium viscosity in the glass. Berries, smoke and pepper on the nose. Secondary bramble and flint. Med-full body with a high stack of thin, balanced layers of nearly every berry imaginable. Secondary cigarillo smoke, herbs and pepper. Sturdy acidic backbone and superb mouthfeel. Long finish. Pleasing, soft oak and tannin integration. Delicious with food or on its own.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2011 - europat55 wrote: flawed
1997 Brunellos (Tasted Blind) (Tom's house in Palo Alto, California): Darn... Definitely corked!
My #7, Group's #7
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2011 - Lipsman wrote: 92 Points
Drinking nicely now. Benefits from decanting. Not a particularly giving Brunello, but mellow, medium bodied, nice long finish. Well made and enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2010 - gomezz wrote:
Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino 1997: A lovely garnet red colour with the intensity of youth. Crushed berry fruits on the nose, with smoke and charcoal evidence of oak maturation, and some aromatic, rose petal notes. Ripe, full-bodied and with a rich edge to a pleasing texture in the mouth. Nice berry fruit flavours. Acidity is nicely balanced and not as prominent as many other Brunellos. Ripe tannins provide some grip and softly coat the mouth on the finish. A modern, approachable style. 16.5/20 (January 2003)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2010 - Lipsman wrote: 92 Points
Ready to drink. An elegant and balanced Brunello. This is a classy glass of wine. Delicious. Drinking very well right now, but will improve. Plenty of fruit in perfect balance. Will rate higher later. -JBL
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 94 Points
Great wine, my wotf - enjoyed earlier this week as part of a flight of Italian Montalcinos at the monthly Hickory Wine Club meeting. Delicious, very fruit forward, dark, still big but also velvety and well balanced with soft tannins - in a prime drinking window. Poured and aerated in glass for about two hours prior to consumption. Too expensive to be any kind of a reasonable QPR but I highly recommend this wine if you can find it, it is just that good. Nose fruit forward with a mix of black fruit, red cherry and blackberry.Primary flavors consisted of a mix of berries, dark fruit, black pepper and smoke - all just very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment