A lovely, mature Brunello. Earthy red and black fruit on the nose; the red fruit is a little more prominent on the palate, and the wine really spreads out - very nice. This is a perfect Brunello to just enjoy on the couch while munching on some Parmigiana Reggiano.
Very garnet red now, projecting what indeed is a wine with fully developed soft red fruits housed in a structure that is now fully resolved. The fruit is very pretty - silky, caressing and succulent and without any hint of darkness - it's all small red berries. Some gentle warm brown spices - cinnamon. I believe this was aged in 36 HL Slavonian Oak - had I not thought this I would have suspected some new oak here. Clean. I got none of the brett that others experienced and this required no decanting. May lack just a little acid but is otherwise in perfect balance. The tannins are quite beautiful - evident on close inspection but very fine grained and fully ripe. Good length. Goes down easily. 14%. Commendable if not exciting Brunello, now fully mature. A single bottle bought on release as part of a 2001 set designed for a 2001 Brunello tasting - which did occur last year - but for which this bottle somehow escaped inclusion. Readers should know I really find Brunello exciting.
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The cork on this bottle showed some dried leakage, but the wine is drinking well. Black & red fruits, with autumnal notes on the nose. Still with good acidity on the palate, where the red fruit shows a little more. Fully mature at this point, but I won't be surprised if it lasts another 10 or so years at this level.
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Subsequent notes on this wine from over 8 years ago. Dark garnet in color with some clearing & amber at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & currants with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes of violets, tobacco, mushrooms, leather, tar, some cocoa/coffee notes, herbs, anise, spices, minerals, smoky & a bit of cedar. Full bodied with very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with mushrooms, minerals, herbs & oak. Long, lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but at 22 years of age, it is at its peak of development. Although it may hold on to its plateau for a few more years, I doubt any further development would occur. Ullage at mid-neck; cork was clean & intact.
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This is a fully mature but still quite enjoyable Brunello. Ripe black & red fruit on the nose with a little funk in the background. Still shows decent acidity on the palate, but the fruit here is slightly attenuated, which could be a signal that the wine is starting it's gradual decline.
I have had some bottle variation over the years with this, so I'll try to grab another bottle in the next month or so to confirm that this wasn't just more bottle variation, but if this is representative of where the wine is at, while still enjoyable and complex, I will be looking to consume my remaining bottles over the next 2-3 years.
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I bought two cases of this on release, and have generally enjoyed the wines, although there has been bottle variation, including at least one bottle marred by brett.
This bottle is also unique - while I like it, I doubt I would call this a Brunello if I had it blind. The nose here is what really throws you off - and I can't recall this in any previous bottles - a volcanic ash note that to me speaks more of Aglianico than it does Sangiovese.
A mixture of black & red fruit on the palate, with good acidity and persistence. I like this, but tonight this is an atypical Brunello.
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Decanted for an hour. Medium garnet in color. Cherry, tea leaf, leather, forest floor on a very complex nose. Dry and bright on the palate, silky smooth tannins, medium plus acidity, medium to full body, good amount of extract and persistent on the finish. Beautifully mature bottle. Glad I waited. Time to drink.
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A beautiful bottle, not corked like the last 01 I opened a few years ago. Not sure I would hold much longer, IMO on it's downward slope. Nice red cherry, red currants, menthol, leather, earth, pleasurable tannins.
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Such a beautiful brunello. Lots of tobacco leaf and ripe morello cherries notes with a sweet oak taste. This is why Brunelleschi need at least 15 plus years in them to really shine. This was such an example. Long succulent finish.
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Translucent ruby in the glass; red fruits & a faint menthol back note on the nose.
Ripe red fruit on the palate, adequate acidity (maybe a touch less than I usually prefer), good persistence. Hard to imagine this getting any better at this point, but it also shows no signs of decline, so if you have it in the cellar, I'd say drink or hold. Good if less than stellar.
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This is quite good, but also quite big. The color is still very dark for the age; the nose is great with loads of dark fruit, fennel, leather, tobacco, five spice, and dried violet. The palate is still quite bold and structured, yet has good lift and energy. Definitely big in the spectrum of Brunello, but very tasty with food. I personally didn't enjoy this style quite as much as some of the more elegant Brunellos, but still it is hard to resist.
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Quite earthy with tobacco and meaty elements on both the nose and palate. Comes around to showing more black cherry fruit after 1-2 hours and especially with a meal including a Tuscan style T-Bone steak. Classic styled, but at a more mature point needing consumption in the next 2-3 years to my palate. Consistent with last bottle.
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Decanted upon arrival at the restaurant, the wine took a full 2 hrs to open up. Initially the nose was completely shut down, which led to concerns about bottle issues. But this just needed time, more than what we gave it.
Decidedly dark and stern compared to the Castelnouvo Berardenga wines that make up the bulk of the sangiovese in my cellar, with a slightly funky (in a good way) nose of animal, tobacco and mineral notes. Palate, while brawny and firm, somehow managed to come across as alive rather than dull from the pure power of the fruit in this wine. A powerful wine, but not without nuance or life.
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A shade darker than the '99; the nose here has a barnyardy funk to it that I personally like, but my better half detests.
Also seamless on the palate, but a touch less acidity here. I like this, but not sure which I prefer right now. I do think that the '99 will last longer than the 2001.
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The tannins have softened considerably. Upon opening, it had a bit of funk, but it faded with some air.,two hours after uncorking, it was terrific. Soft, grapey and delicious.
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3 1/2 hour open time with a final decant for service, surprisingly youthful with solid fruit present. Nothing "off" detected, not even a hint of Brett. Can't imagine the reserve being any better.
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Translucent ruby in the glass; a funky/barnyardy note on the nose that I love.
Sweet & sour black & red fruits on the palate, adequate acidity, nice finish with just a touch of unresolved tannin at the close. Very nice, and definitely worth checking out if you have it in the cellar.
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Not the best showing. This was rather hard-edged to begin and opened slowly but never gave off much charm (especially compared to the '01 Rancia that accompanied this wine and was fantastic). R calls this "super reduced". With R and more Motorino pizza.
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I think there is a bit of surmaturite here, a bit of a roasted aspect to the dark fruit. The tannins have smoothed out, there is a dusty spice Tuscan quality, seems at peak. Good, but not excellent and I thought this ’01 would be showing more richness, more interesting cerebral qualities. With porterhouses and family in New City.
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Opened by Mark. Brownish red color. This bottle seems to have aged rather fast. Muted nose with some beef blood aromas. Creamy texture with violet, metallic and lady bug notes. 88 points.
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Deep dark garnet in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward, assertive & complex nose of mature & developed, ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & black currants with floral overtones of violets, earthy, cedar, tobacco, mushrooms, leather, some tar, cocoa, coffee, licorice, minerals and dried herbs. Full bodied with very good concentration of silky smooth & supple textured, well balanced, complex, mature & developed, ripe fruit flavors of sweet dark cherries, blackberries & plums with earthy notes, mushrooms, minty, minerals, dried herbs & some toasty oak. Long, lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing and should hold onto this current stage of development for a few more years although any further development would be minimal.
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2 horribly corked bottles last night. I'd always thought that Livio's rustic cellar produced interesting results, if some variability, but these 2 were beyond the pale. I'm concerned about the rest of my stock.
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Interesting and well-made. This seems to be made in an intermediate style between traditional and modernist (in contrast to the much more old-school '97 drank alongside it). Quite dark-fruited, in the plum/blackberry range. But this has tons of the licorice and bitter characteristics to mark it as Italian, along with some coffee character, leather, and nice acidity that adds a citric note. Rather lightweight for its stuffing. I "objectively" thought this was excellent--and a good QPR--but for some reason I didn't find the whole as delicious as the sum of its parts should have been.
Another great showing. This wine is right in its prime, although this last bottle seemed even younger than a bottle a couple of months ago. Delicious palate of bright fruits that ranged the spectrum from red to black, terrific Sangio spices, also showing more earth notes than the last bottle, and a smooth-around-the edges texture, with lovely buoyant acidity. Great showing for a great wine. Brought this to an impromptu dinner at Rothmann's with Marty C.
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I brought this to Rothmann's and we had it decanted for about 30-45 minutes. Fabulous showing. Everything you want in a mature Brunello. A mix of black and red fruits, with plenty of Sangio dried herbs and worn leather notes. Great texture, with the tannins and the palate softer and slightly worn, but the acidity providing plenty of underlying spine and leading to a long finish. Great balance too. In it's prime. With Jason R.
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Popped cork and drank over 2 hrs. Lovely wine, sweet ripe fruit, balanced acidity, hints of oak. Paired well w caceo e pepe. Not past it's prime, simply delicious right now.
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double-decanted. garnet red, some lightening at rim; terrific sage, underbrush, sanguine notes on nose, w/cracked exotic spices & a latent woodsmoke element; med weight; ripe tart red fruits, red currant, dried strawberry, pomegranate, hung game & wild herbs, shows a bit of viscosity, seems to be in its plateau of excellence. second of six.
homemade pappardelle in green Cherokee tomato & pork sugo w/sage & pecorino
3/25/2015 corked!
4/10/15 double-decanted (Lots of fine-grained sediment). dark red-purple, clear crimson rim; lots of funk & horse, plus the well-used saddle, initially, backed up w/sage, wild thyme, roasted black fruits; full-bodied; concentrated, roasted fruits again, pruney, tangy red plum skin astringens, still some firm gritty tannins on the finish. after the last corked bottle, needed to re-check this one; a rustic & slightly unwieldy example that showed young, but was ameliorated by the food. (90?)
linguini in oxheart tomato marinara w/guanciale, green garlic& crushed red pepper flake, pecorino
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Penultimate bottle of a case plus, and the last 2 have clearly been the best. This bottle had some seepage and the wine had some bricking, but the nose and palate were fine, similar to my prior bottle.
I've been shifting to CCR to satisfy my Sangiovese jones, since it is half the cost and doesn't need as much cellar time. But I have to say, sometimes a good Brunello gives me pause.
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I enjoyed this more than last bottle. Nicely complex nose featuring red fruit and red meat. Smooth on the palate. As others have written, drinking very well now.
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Popped & poured - dark translucent ruby in the glass; the nose has almost a smoked meat quality to it, black- and red-fruited, with the black fruits being most prominent on opening. Really nice nose with a lot going on right now - complex.
Very smooth on the palate - really spreads out and covers every "nook & cranny". The fruit is both sweet & tart, with a nice finish - about the only criticism I would have right now is a trace of heat on the finish, but otherwise it shows pretty nicely on opening.
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As usual, a pleasant wine, but I'm not convinced that age has improved this much, or that it will be better in the future than it is today or was a couple of years ago.
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For a long time, I was a huge fan of the 1999 Sassetti "Pertimali", while I let the 2001 age longer in the cellar. I'm pleased to report that the '01 has now arrived. Just a lovely, traditional Brunello. The palate shows red and black fruit, new leather and dry herbs, all integrated very nicely, backed up by juicy acidity and smooth tannin. Very nicely balanced. This is at the point where the palate is cohesive and seems to even be lifted on a higher plane. Very enjoyable. Seems to have entered its prime zone, and will last for many years.
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This is was so brilliant on the nose. Deep, rich leather, like the smell of your favorite boyhood baseball glove. But a touch of animal fur underneath, like your dog took a nap on that glove. On the palate, it's so svelte in delivering the sour cherry goodness, and the bright acidity gives it freshness to boot. I've always believed Brunello rarely delivers enough bang for the buck, but Pertimali always belies my prejudice.
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nose is just popping as soon as it was opened. Cherries and forrest floor, forest floor, cherries. It was a foreshadown of great things to come. On the palate reveals it justed filled up with tocaco, earthiness, chectrries (all of things I like). Tannins and acid was perfect ballanced. Finish is medium caused me to long for more. This one is drinking now and would not hesitate to buy more of 2004 and 2006. A very well deserving 93.
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Drank with Adrianne at Trattoria Toscania. Soft mouthfeel with loads of cherry but little else. No leather/tobacco notes at all. Disappointed versus prior bottles.
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2001 Tuscans @ Asher's (Westport, CT): My favorite Brunello producer -- indeed and one of my favorite Italian producers overall. This is always a "Burgundian" type of Brunello for me. This has richness, but in a subtle way. Fruits of steel, complicated with earth and animal scents; this is velvety on the palate and lingering in length. Substanial, yet weightless. Thanks Asher!
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2001 Brunello and Other Tuscans in Westport: Another of my favorite producers, and this was more like it. Lovely, strawberry fruit, soft tannin, good underlying richness and class. Nice.
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Pop and pour (10 min decant in my glass). The wine is slightly bricking. The nose on this wine is substantial. Mushrooms, forest floor, and mature cherries. You can tell by the nose alone this is Italian delight. The palate reveals a mature red fruits, more mushroom and some old cigar box. The acidity and fruit are nicely balanced. A polite "zing" of delicious acidity transitions into the 10 second mouth-watering finish. There are a few round tannins on the finish. Overall this wine is in a very nice drinking window. I would not hesitate to open now; but a few more years in the cellar will not hurt this either.
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A pleasant drinking wine that went well with Chicken Cacciatore. Decanted for 90 minutes. red fruit, including some bright sweet red cherry and dark berries. A bit of earth and tar almost reminiscent of nebbiolo, but probably just mind over matter because I knew it was Italian. There was a sage brush type herbal component, not big leafy greens like basil but more like what you would smell in a poorly irrigated desert-like area as the dew dried in the morning. Moderate finish. Smooth mouth feel. Whatever tannins that might have once existed have finished their route to resolution and the harshness of a young brunello is gone. Sorry Serge, I read your note and you must have had a bad bottle. Not a life-changing experience, but a very nice wine.
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Lovely brunello....not too powerful. very tight even after an hour of decanting. much smoother after two hours. not sure when or if it will reach full potential.
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This bottle was a wall of tannins and oaky flavors. Not sure if the fruit will outlast the tannins. There is hope that it did improve over the course of the evening.
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Very good, but maybe not quite as outstanding as it should be given the producer and vintage. Tannins nice and silky, good red cherry fruit. Perhaps a little closed/unexpressive? (Overnight sit provided mild improvement).
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Drank at Davina with Lynn and Adrianne. Everyone raved. Nice level of fruit, not over the top. Smooth and velvety. Just perfect complement to the meal.
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This bottle was drinking very nicely. Nose was spicy with dust and cherries. Palate featured dark red cherries almost verging on black fruit with nice leathery tobacco frame. Good acidity kept this lively. A lovely Brunello.
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Give this several hours in a decanter. A huge nose of dried cranberries, leather, powdered earth, sweet herbs, flowers, rainwater. Elegant and effortless on the palate, with great concentration, this is lifted by bright acid and a pretty fair amount of tannin. A long and gorgeous finish. This is totally effortless, flawless, deep, complex, and concentrated. It will age fantastically and offer a ton of upside. Perfectly fresh fruit, no wood showing, great varietal character and terroir, you can't ask for more. Up there with Costanti and Ciacci Pianrosso as contenders for wine of the vintage. I will have to try them side by side.
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This was the featured wine at a paired dinner on New Years Eve. (The chef prepared the menu, we worked with a local wine shop/sommelier to pair the wines. I decanted the wine at home for about 4 hours. Back into the bottle, and down the the great French restaurant it went. It was amazing. It was a beautiful ruby red. The nose was perfumed with cherries and red berries. There were soft hints of mineral and light flowers. The tannins were silky smooth. The acidity was perfectly balanced to complement a wonderful rack of lamb. It had a long smooth silky finish. This wine was totally awesome! If you are a Brunello fan, it is a must try!
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Brought to the offline at The House with Bob Fyke et al. Showed very young, as one would expect. Seems to have real potential, but not showing much right now.
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Tasted in-store at Glenville Wines, Greenwich, CT. Young Brunello, with numerous layers of flavor not yet fully integrated. The first whack is of cedary oak, followed by dusty cherry and cranberry fruit. Narrow on the palate until it broadens after being open for a couple of hours. High acidity and velvety tannins balance the ripeness of the fruit - all is harmonious on the finish. A terrific Brunello to lay down for a decade or two!
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Dark, clear ruby in color; I wasn't sure what to think of this wine because it was so different than the other 2001 Brunellos we've tried to date. Ultimately it was a bit rustic with intense dark fruit, smoke, leather and a touch of mint on the finish. It was balanced and rather unique tasting. The only question I had was a rather pruny taste on the finish. When tasted the next morning this was gone so it was probably a stage in this young wine. Well-priced for the quality. [~$50 on release; Decanted 30 minutes and needed it; Next bottle up 2010-11]
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Strangely black in color. The fruit profile is still mostly red but the fruit is deeper and more intense than vintages past, seeming to have a lot of concentrated cranberry or black currant juice wrung out of it. In addition to the fruit's being darker in profile, there is also so much more of it, and seems fresher, juicier, closer to the crush. And the tannin is commensurately bolder as well, structured more like an old-style Barolo than a Brunello, in that the boldness of the tannin doesn't so much as dry out the fruit as condenses it in the core of the wine... as if there is some heavy mass in the center pulling all the fruit towards it. This becomes more elegant with air, but is a very different creature from what I remember.
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Poured at a retailer tasting. Dark ruby color with a dirty hue. Smoky plum, blueberry and herb notes, with a faint meaty note. Full bodied, with rich plum, meat and dark fruit flavors. Firm, fine-grained tannins and a lengthy finish.
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This is one promising wine!!!! Very young and relatively closed in. Slight sulphur on the nose and the edge of the taste, but only initially. This is a big, rustic, traditional, other-worldly brunello. Concntrated blackish red fruit but even in its youth elements of creosote and perhaps camphor or eucalytpus. There are plenty of tannins but they are not at all harsh. This is a great example of traditional, inconoclastic winemaking and Livio Sassetti is a genius at that. No barrique has ever gotten near his winery. This wine, in its infancy, makes a very profound statement about great winemaking. This wine has so much sould to it, it has not been enervated by international style winemaking. I guess this explains why this is the only Brunello I consistently purchase. It simply rocks
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1/2/2024 - Bob H wrote:
First tasting note of the New Year 🎉
A lovely, mature Brunello. Earthy red and black fruit on the nose; the red fruit is a little more prominent on the palate, and the wine really spreads out - very nice. This is a perfect Brunello to just enjoy on the couch while munching on some Parmigiana Reggiano.
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12/21/2023 - MuddyBoots wrote:
Very garnet red now, projecting what indeed is a wine with fully developed soft red fruits housed in a structure that is now fully resolved. The fruit is very pretty - silky, caressing and succulent and without any hint of darkness - it's all small red berries. Some gentle warm brown spices - cinnamon. I believe this was aged in 36 HL Slavonian Oak - had I not thought this I would have suspected some new oak here. Clean. I got none of the brett that others experienced and this required no decanting. May lack just a little acid but is otherwise in perfect balance. The tannins are quite beautiful - evident on close inspection but very fine grained and fully ripe. Good length. Goes down easily. 14%. Commendable if not exciting Brunello, now fully mature. A single bottle bought on release as part of a 2001 set designed for a 2001 Brunello tasting - which did occur last year - but for which this bottle somehow escaped inclusion. Readers should know I really find Brunello exciting.
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7/13/2023 - Bob H wrote:
The cork on this bottle showed some dried leakage, but the wine is drinking well. Black & red fruits, with autumnal notes on the nose. Still with good acidity on the palate, where the red fruit shows a little more. Fully mature at this point, but I won't be surprised if it lasts another 10 or so years at this level.
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5/27/2023 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Subsequent notes on this wine from over 8 years ago. Dark garnet in color with some clearing & amber at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & currants with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes of violets, tobacco, mushrooms, leather, tar, some cocoa/coffee notes, herbs, anise, spices, minerals, smoky & a bit of cedar. Full bodied with very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with mushrooms, minerals, herbs & oak. Long, lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but at 22 years of age, it is at its peak of development. Although it may hold on to its plateau for a few more years, I doubt any further development would occur. Ullage at mid-neck; cork was clean & intact.
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1/20/2023 - Bob H wrote:
This is a fully mature but still quite enjoyable Brunello. Ripe black & red fruit on the nose with a little funk in the background. Still shows decent acidity on the palate, but the fruit here is slightly attenuated, which could be a signal that the wine is starting it's gradual decline.
I have had some bottle variation over the years with this, so I'll try to grab another bottle in the next month or so to confirm that this wasn't just more bottle variation, but if this is representative of where the wine is at, while still enjoyable and complex, I will be looking to consume my remaining bottles over the next 2-3 years.
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7/15/2022 - Bob H wrote:
I bought two cases of this on release, and have generally enjoyed the wines, although there has been bottle variation, including at least one bottle marred by brett.
This bottle is also unique - while I like it, I doubt I would call this a Brunello if I had it blind. The nose here is what really throws you off - and I can't recall this in any previous bottles - a volcanic ash note that to me speaks more of Aglianico than it does Sangiovese.
A mixture of black & red fruit on the palate, with good acidity and persistence. I like this, but tonight this is an atypical Brunello.
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7/13/2021 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour.
Medium garnet in color. Cherry, tea leaf, leather, forest floor on a very complex nose. Dry and bright on the palate, silky smooth tannins, medium plus acidity, medium to full body, good amount of extract and persistent on the finish. Beautifully mature bottle. Glad I waited. Time to drink.
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3/27/2021 - Bob H wrote:
Pristine cork on this, and the bottle is showing very well out of the gate - sour cherry fruit on both the nose & palate, good acidity and very clean.
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4/4/2020 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
A beautiful bottle, not corked like the last 01 I opened a few years ago. Not sure I would hold much longer, IMO on it's downward slope. Nice red cherry, red currants, menthol, leather, earth, pleasurable tannins.
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10/7/2019 - bonedoc wrote:
This was pretty w rose petal, tea, and plum. Also, at the end of drinking window.
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7/13/2019 - Bob H wrote:
A lot of Brett in this bottle; I'm okay with it, but no one else liked it due to the Brett.
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11/12/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful focused fruit. A tad bit of Brett.
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10/5/2018 - mimik wrote: 95 Points
Such a beautiful brunello. Lots of tobacco leaf and ripe morello cherries notes with a sweet oak taste. This is why Brunelleschi need at least 15 plus years in them to really shine. This was such an example. Long succulent finish.
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7/19/2018 - Bob H wrote:
Translucent ruby in the glass; red fruits & a faint menthol back note on the nose.
Ripe red fruit on the palate, adequate acidity (maybe a touch less than I usually prefer), good persistence. Hard to imagine this getting any better at this point, but it also shows no signs of decline, so if you have it in the cellar, I'd say drink or hold. Good if less than stellar.
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6/19/2018 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is quite good, but also quite big. The color is still very dark for the age; the nose is great with loads of dark fruit, fennel, leather, tobacco, five spice, and dried violet. The palate is still quite bold and structured, yet has good lift and energy. Definitely big in the spectrum of Brunello, but very tasty with food. I personally didn't enjoy this style quite as much as some of the more elegant Brunellos, but still it is hard to resist.
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3/24/2018 - portman63 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite earthy with tobacco and meaty elements on both the nose and palate. Comes around to showing more black cherry fruit after 1-2 hours and especially with a meal including a Tuscan style T-Bone steak. Classic styled, but at a more mature point needing consumption in the next 2-3 years to my palate. Consistent with last bottle.
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1/18/2018 - Ben F Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened at SPQR, San Francisco. From 750ml.
Decanted upon arrival at the restaurant, the wine took a full 2 hrs to open up. Initially the nose was completely shut down, which led to concerns about bottle issues. But this just needed time, more than what we gave it.
Decidedly dark and stern compared to the Castelnouvo Berardenga wines that make up the bulk of the sangiovese in my cellar, with a slightly funky (in a good way) nose of animal, tobacco and mineral notes. Palate, while brawny and firm, somehow managed to come across as alive rather than dull from the pure power of the fruit in this wine. A powerful wine, but not without nuance or life.
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10/24/2017 - mattiasjansson wrote: 95 Points
Italian Wines in Boston: Barnyardy nose. Tannins are a bit mouth-drying, but everything else is just lovely. This is open for business!
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8/11/2017 - Bob H wrote:
A shade darker than the '99; the nose here has a barnyardy funk to it that I personally like, but my better half detests.
Also seamless on the palate, but a touch less acidity here. I like this, but not sure which I prefer right now. I do think that the '99 will last longer than the 2001.
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5/19/2017 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
The tannins have softened considerably. Upon opening, it had a bit of funk, but it faded with some air.,two hours after uncorking, it was terrific. Soft, grapey and delicious.
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2/26/2017 - mrpaper126@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
3 1/2 hour open time with a final decant for service, surprisingly youthful with solid fruit present. Nothing "off" detected, not even a hint of Brett. Can't imagine the reserve being any better.
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12/9/2016 - Bob H Likes this wine:
Translucent ruby in the glass; a funky/barnyardy note on the nose that I love.
Sweet & sour black & red fruits on the palate, adequate acidity, nice finish with just a touch of unresolved tannin at the close. Very nice, and definitely worth checking out if you have it in the cellar.
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12/3/2016 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 92 Points
YES!! I love a perfectly aged Italian red. Paired so well truffle pasta. Mostly herbs, dried fruits, leather and the barn.
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2/6/2016 - Pknut wrote:
Not the best showing. This was rather hard-edged to begin and opened slowly but never gave off much charm (especially compared to the '01 Rancia that accompanied this wine and was fantastic). R calls this "super reduced". With R and more Motorino pizza.
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7/12/2015 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Love Livio's Brunello's, but not this bottle, corked…
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7/11/2015 - Pknut wrote:
I think there is a bit of surmaturite here, a bit of a roasted aspect to the dark fruit. The tannins have smoothed out, there is a dusty spice Tuscan quality, seems at peak. Good, but not excellent and I thought this ’01 would be showing more richness, more interesting cerebral qualities. With porterhouses and family in New City.
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2/16/2015 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
No decant.
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2/15/2015 - BernieMSY wrote: 91 Points
Saddle leather gives way to deep plum, and blackberry. Dried herbs, a hint of eucalyptus.
Dark and brooding, with plenty of tannins still present on the back end.
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2/14/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
Opened by Mark. Brownish red color. This bottle seems to have aged rather fast. Muted nose with some beef blood aromas. Creamy texture with violet, metallic and lady bug notes. 88 points.
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2/14/2015 - mnoljo wrote: 90 Points
Slightly off
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1/27/2015 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep dark garnet in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward, assertive & complex nose of mature & developed, ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & black currants with floral overtones of violets, earthy, cedar, tobacco, mushrooms, leather, some tar, cocoa, coffee, licorice, minerals and dried herbs. Full bodied with very good concentration of silky smooth & supple textured, well balanced, complex, mature & developed, ripe fruit flavors of sweet dark cherries, blackberries & plums with earthy notes, mushrooms, minty, minerals, dried herbs & some toasty oak. Long, lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing and should hold onto this current stage of development for a few more years although any further development would be minimal.
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10/18/2014 - dabovino wrote:
- Garnet color. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant, cherry and fig with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish.
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7/9/2014 - baroloboy55 wrote: flawed
2 horribly corked bottles last night. I'd always thought that Livio's rustic cellar produced interesting results, if some variability, but these 2 were beyond the pale. I'm concerned about the rest of my stock.
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5/17/2014 - cooberp Likes this wine: 90 Points
Interesting and well-made. This seems to be made in an intermediate style between traditional and modernist (in contrast to the much more old-school '97 drank alongside it). Quite dark-fruited, in the plum/blackberry range. But this has tons of the licorice and bitter characteristics to mark it as Italian, along with some coffee character, leather, and nice acidity that adds a citric note. Rather lightweight for its stuffing. I "objectively" thought this was excellent--and a good QPR--but for some reason I didn't find the whole as delicious as the sum of its parts should have been.
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4/7/2014 - Pknut wrote:
Another great showing. This wine is right in its prime, although this last bottle seemed even younger than a bottle a couple of months ago. Delicious palate of bright fruits that ranged the spectrum from red to black, terrific Sangio spices, also showing more earth notes than the last bottle, and a smooth-around-the edges texture, with lovely buoyant acidity. Great showing for a great wine.
Brought this to an impromptu dinner at Rothmann's with Marty C.
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2/5/2014 - Pknut wrote:
I brought this to Rothmann's and we had it decanted for about 30-45 minutes. Fabulous showing. Everything you want in a mature Brunello. A mix of black and red fruits, with plenty of Sangio dried herbs and worn leather notes. Great texture, with the tannins and the palate softer and slightly worn, but the acidity providing plenty of underlying spine and leading to a long finish. Great balance too. In it's prime. With Jason R.
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12/30/2013 - bonedoc wrote: 94 Points
Popped cork and drank over 2 hrs. Lovely wine, sweet ripe fruit, balanced acidity, hints of oak. Paired well w caceo e pepe. Not past it's prime, simply delicious right now.
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12/7/2013 - Ibetian wrote: 93 Points
Last and best bottle of this, drinking beautifully now
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11/17/2013 - pigdaddy wrote: 92 Points
double-decanted. garnet red, some lightening at rim; terrific sage, underbrush, sanguine notes on nose, w/cracked exotic spices & a latent woodsmoke element; med weight; ripe tart red fruits, red currant, dried strawberry, pomegranate, hung game & wild herbs, shows a bit of viscosity, seems to be in its plateau of excellence. second of six.
homemade pappardelle in green Cherokee tomato & pork sugo w/sage & pecorino
3/25/2015 corked!
4/10/15 double-decanted (Lots of fine-grained sediment). dark red-purple, clear crimson rim; lots of funk & horse, plus the well-used saddle, initially, backed up w/sage, wild thyme, roasted black fruits; full-bodied; concentrated, roasted fruits again, pruney, tangy red plum skin astringens, still some firm gritty tannins on the finish. after the last corked bottle, needed to re-check this one; a rustic & slightly unwieldy example that showed young, but was ameliorated by the food. (90?)
linguini in oxheart tomato marinara w/guanciale, green garlic& crushed red pepper flake, pecorino
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11/12/2013 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
Penultimate bottle of a case plus, and the last 2 have clearly been the best. This bottle had some seepage and the wine had some bricking, but the nose and palate were fine, similar to my prior bottle.
I've been shifting to CCR to satisfy my Sangiovese jones, since it is half the cost and doesn't need as much cellar time. But I have to say, sometimes a good Brunello gives me pause.
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11/1/2013 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
I enjoyed this more than last bottle. Nicely complex nose featuring red fruit and red meat. Smooth on the palate. As others have written, drinking very well now.
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9/21/2013 - Bob H Likes this wine:
Popped & poured - dark translucent ruby in the glass; the nose has almost a smoked meat quality to it, black- and red-fruited, with the black fruits being most prominent on opening. Really nice nose with a lot going on right now - complex.
Very smooth on the palate - really spreads out and covers every "nook & cranny". The fruit is both sweet & tart, with a nice finish - about the only criticism I would have right now is a trace of heat on the finish, but otherwise it shows pretty nicely on opening.
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8/8/2013 - Ibetian wrote: 90 Points
As usual, a pleasant wine, but I'm not convinced that age has improved this much, or that it will be better in the future than it is today or was a couple of years ago.
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8/5/2013 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Drinking beautifully now.
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7/13/2013 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Elegance, w some sweet ripe fruit, decanted and drank over 3 hrs. Drink next few yrs.
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6/4/2013 - nschmidt wrote: 92 Points
Had the flavors of aged sangiovese. Nice with some funkiness that I enjoyed.
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3/14/2013 - Pknut wrote:
For a long time, I was a huge fan of the 1999 Sassetti "Pertimali", while I let the 2001 age longer in the cellar. I'm pleased to report that the '01 has now arrived. Just a lovely, traditional Brunello. The palate shows red and black fruit, new leather and dry herbs, all integrated very nicely, backed up by juicy acidity and smooth tannin. Very nicely balanced. This is at the point where the palate is cohesive and seems to even be lifted on a higher plane. Very enjoyable. Seems to have entered its prime zone, and will last for many years.
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1/7/2013 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours.
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9/1/2012 - bonedoc wrote: 94 Points
I would say a modern style, w big ripe dark sweet fruit and low to moderate acidity. Tannins soft. Absolutely delicious.
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4/21/2012 - dcwino wrote: 91 Points
Tuscan wine gathering at Bluegrass Restaurant - Showing my dedication to Baltimore winos (Bluegrass restaurant, Baltimore): Very fresh, crushed blackberries, grilled meat and bacon. Also noticeable Brett that bothered some tasters. Some fizziness and excellent concentration. Neither complex nor expressive at the moment, need time.
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2/14/2012 - Billigan wrote: 93 Points
This is was so brilliant on the nose. Deep, rich leather, like the smell of your favorite boyhood baseball glove. But a touch of animal fur underneath, like your dog took a nap on that glove. On the palate, it's so svelte in delivering the sour cherry goodness, and the bright acidity gives it freshness to boot. I've always believed Brunello rarely delivers enough bang for the buck, but Pertimali always belies my prejudice.
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10/10/2011 - AccaDacca wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely top notch brunello. Balance of fruit and tannins, rich mouthfeel. Nice cherry with a little cedar. Wish I had more....
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7/6/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 90 Points
No detailed notes.
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6/5/2011 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
Wow - much better than last time (2009). Really expressing cherry, tobacco etc - everything I would expect from a quality Brunello.
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5/8/2011 - jeanluc07 wrote: 93 Points
nose is just popping as soon as it was opened. Cherries and forrest floor, forest floor, cherries. It was a foreshadown of great things to come. On the palate reveals it justed filled up with tocaco, earthiness, chectrries (all of things I like). Tannins and acid was perfect ballanced. Finish is medium caused me to long for more. This one is drinking now and would not hesitate to buy more of 2004 and 2006. A very well deserving 93.
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5/6/2011 - nschmidt wrote: 89 Points
Drank with Adrianne at Trattoria Toscania. Soft mouthfeel with loads of cherry but little else. No leather/tobacco notes at all. Disappointed versus prior bottles.
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4/3/2011 - BernieMSY wrote: 94 Points
Intense and brooding. Classic Brunello tones of leather and tobacco. Very concentrated. Delicious.
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3/23/2011 - ParkHill wrote: 92 Points
I really liked this wine, and was glad I waited 10 years. Soft, rich with cherry.
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3/19/2011 - pme wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding with Pasta Bolognese. Really at a good place right now with several more years to go. Delicious!
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2/18/2011 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 93 Points
Note very close to last bottle; however this bottle is singing for all aspects.
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2/12/2011 - herberto wrote: flawed
Tainted.
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1/22/2011 - mdefreitas wrote: 95 Points
2001 Tuscans @ Asher's (Westport, CT): My favorite Brunello producer -- indeed and one of my favorite Italian producers overall. This is always a "Burgundian" type of Brunello for me. This has richness, but in a subtle way. Fruits of steel, complicated with earth and animal scents; this is velvety on the palate and lingering in length. Substanial, yet weightless. Thanks Asher!
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1/22/2011 - Pknut wrote:
2001 Brunello and Other Tuscans in Westport: Another of my favorite producers, and this was more like it. Lovely, strawberry fruit, soft tannin, good underlying richness and class. Nice.
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12/10/2010 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour (10 min decant in my glass). The wine is slightly bricking. The nose on this wine is substantial. Mushrooms, forest floor, and mature cherries. You can tell by the nose alone this is Italian delight. The palate reveals a mature red fruits, more mushroom and some old cigar box. The acidity and fruit are nicely balanced. A polite "zing" of delicious acidity transitions into the 10 second mouth-watering finish. There are a few round tannins on the finish. Overall this wine is in a very nice drinking window. I would not hesitate to open now; but a few more years in the cellar will not hurt this either.
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11/11/2010 - flashvictor wrote:
A lot of funk initially on nose. Very disjointed body. I hope this is better tomorrow.
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10/10/2010 - Jay Hack wrote: 90 Points
A pleasant drinking wine that went well with Chicken Cacciatore. Decanted for 90 minutes. red fruit, including some bright sweet red cherry and dark berries. A bit of earth and tar almost reminiscent of nebbiolo, but probably just mind over matter because I knew it was Italian. There was a sage brush type herbal component, not big leafy greens like basil but more like what you would smell in a poorly irrigated desert-like area as the dew dried in the morning. Moderate finish. Smooth mouth feel. Whatever tannins that might have once existed have finished their route to resolution and the harshness of a young brunello is gone. Sorry Serge, I read your note and you must have had a bad bottle. Not a life-changing experience, but a very nice wine.
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5/14/2010 - nschmidt wrote: 92 Points
Drank with Adrianne at Due Nicola. Nicely balanced wine. Very enjoyable but could use a little more fruit and complexity.
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10/30/2009 - DonSolo69 wrote: 92 Points
Lovely brunello....not too powerful. very tight even after an hour of decanting. much smoother after two hours. not sure when or if it will reach full potential.
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10/17/2009 - Winetex wrote:
This bottle was a wall of tannins and oaky flavors. Not sure if the fruit will outlast the tannins. There is hope that it did improve over the course of the evening.
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10/15/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 90 Points
Very good, but maybe not quite as outstanding as it should be given the producer and vintage. Tannins nice and silky, good red cherry fruit. Perhaps a little closed/unexpressive? (Overnight sit provided mild improvement).
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10/12/2009 - nschmidt wrote: 93 Points
Drank at Davina with Lynn and Adrianne. Everyone raved. Nice level of fruit, not over the top. Smooth and velvety. Just perfect complement to the meal.
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8/6/2009 - stbasil wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was drinking very nicely. Nose was spicy with dust and cherries. Palate featured dark red cherries almost verging on black fruit with nice leathery tobacco frame. Good acidity kept this lively. A lovely Brunello.
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2/6/2009 - pbjosh wrote: 94 Points
Give this several hours in a decanter. A huge nose of dried cranberries, leather, powdered earth, sweet herbs, flowers, rainwater. Elegant and effortless on the palate, with great concentration, this is lifted by bright acid and a pretty fair amount of tannin. A long and gorgeous finish. This is totally effortless, flawless, deep, complex, and concentrated. It will age fantastically and offer a ton of upside. Perfectly fresh fruit, no wood showing, great varietal character and terroir, you can't ask for more. Up there with Costanti and Ciacci Pianrosso as contenders for wine of the vintage. I will have to try them side by side.
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1/2/2009 - jwsmith wrote: 90 Points
Good not great where have all the brunello's gone..
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6/8/2008 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
Dark, clear ruby in color. Good Brunello that needs a couple more years (2?) to really shine. If you drink now definitely decant at least 30 minutes.
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1/20/2008 - Corekevin wrote: 93 Points
This was the featured wine at a paired dinner on New Years Eve. (The chef prepared the menu, we worked with a local wine shop/sommelier to pair the wines. I decanted the wine at home for about 4 hours. Back into the bottle, and down the the great French restaurant it went. It was amazing. It was a beautiful ruby red. The nose was perfumed with cherries and red berries. There were soft hints of mineral and light flowers. The tannins were silky smooth. The acidity was perfectly balanced to complement a wonderful rack of lamb. It had a long smooth silky finish. This wine was totally awesome! If you are a Brunello fan, it is a must try!
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11/27/2007 - gbauer wrote:
Brought to the offline at The House with Bob Fyke et al. Showed very young, as one would expect. Seems to have real potential, but not showing much right now.
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8/4/2007 - beaunehead wrote: 94 Points
Tasted in-store at Glenville Wines, Greenwich, CT. Young Brunello, with numerous layers of flavor not yet fully integrated. The first whack is of cedary oak, followed by dusty cherry and cranberry fruit. Narrow on the palate until it broadens after being open for a couple of hours. High acidity and velvety tannins balance the ripeness of the fruit - all is harmonious on the finish. A terrific Brunello to lay down for a decade or two!
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7/15/2007 - jwsmith wrote: 91 Points
Very good smooth blackberry nice finish better than the 1999 today.
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3/24/2007 - Winetex wrote: 92 Points
Dark, clear ruby in color; I wasn't sure what to think of this wine because it was so different than the other 2001 Brunellos we've tried to date. Ultimately it was a bit rustic with intense dark fruit, smoke, leather and a touch of mint on the finish. It was balanced and rather unique tasting. The only question I had was a rather pruny taste on the finish. When tasted the next morning this was gone so it was probably a stage in this young wine. Well-priced for the quality. [~$50 on release; Decanted 30 minutes and needed it; Next bottle up 2010-11]
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3/2/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 88 Points
Strangely black in color. The fruit profile is still mostly red but the fruit is deeper and more intense than vintages past, seeming to have a lot of concentrated cranberry or black currant juice wrung out of it. In addition to the fruit's being darker in profile, there is also so much more of it, and seems fresher, juicier, closer to the crush. And the tannin is commensurately bolder as well, structured more like an old-style Barolo than a Brunello, in that the boldness of the tannin doesn't so much as dry out the fruit as condenses it in the core of the wine... as if there is some heavy mass in the center pulling all the fruit towards it. This becomes more elegant with air, but is a very different creature from what I remember.
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11/4/2006 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Dark ruby color with a dirty hue. Smoky plum, blueberry and herb notes, with a faint meaty note. Full bodied, with rich plum, meat and dark fruit flavors. Firm, fine-grained tannins and a lengthy finish.
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10/21/2006 - baroloboy55 wrote: 94 Points
This is one promising wine!!!! Very young and relatively closed in. Slight sulphur on the nose and the edge of the taste, but only initially. This is a big, rustic, traditional, other-worldly brunello. Concntrated blackish red fruit but even in its youth elements of creosote and perhaps camphor or eucalytpus. There are plenty of tannins but they are not at all harsh. This is a great example of traditional, inconoclastic winemaking and Livio Sassetti is a genius at that. No barrique has ever gotten near his winery. This wine, in its infancy, makes a very profound statement about great winemaking. This wine has so much sould to it, it has not been enervated by international style winemaking. I guess this explains why this is the only Brunello I consistently purchase. It simply rocks
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9/19/2006 - trankin wrote: 93 Points
Zachys Icons of Italy Tasting (Zachys): Lovely, full wine with some earth and soft tannins.
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