Aging slowly. This bottle was perhaps just past it zenith, but most I've had are not. Very typical red fruits, mushrooms, earthiness, dried herbs, touch of smoked meats/tar.
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Slow ox 5 hours. A little bit of orange at the edge but no material bricking. Red cherry with plenty of mushroom, forest floor and touches of cassis. Very smooth. 15 second finish. Still plenty of life.
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Gave it 3 hours slow ox. Very smooth and classic brunello from a very good year. Ripe dark fruits, with touches of red fruits, dried herbs, Oak and some mushrooms. Very smooth. Very little sediment. Just starting to brick a bit, but solid color otherwise.
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Solid color with no real age showing. Took about 45 minutes in the glass to come around. Red cherry, barely ripe, some dark fruits as well. Dried herbs, Oak and touch of mushrooms. Very smooth. A full body mouthfeel. This bottle clearly had another 3 to 5 years quality drinking in it.
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Don't know what it was like young but this had ample life taking a long decant in stride on day 2 after PnP previous evening, perfect cork pull too. Healthy musty-dusty cellar, saddle leather notes, and damp forest/rose garden on the nose. Red-brown bricking in full view, brooding old world and old school in dusty mouthfeel and notes of vanilla-tobacco, dark rich cherry-berry cobbler w/cream, mild peppery spice and a minty/licorice kick which went into high gear with dark chocolate dessert. Still holding together well and quite happy it wasn't a dud on dad's day.
Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#06 for me) (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): “From a 10 yr old vyd; Vinified for 28 days; Pre-soaking @ a cold temp for 3 days: pump-over following the density & the temp under computer control; Aged 36 mos in oak (70% Slavonian & 30% in FR tonneaux [Taransaud & Seguin Moreau]), ff’d by 6 mos in bottle; 100,000 bottles release 4/’06. 13.50% ABV, 1.9 g/L R.S., & 5.50 g/L T.A.”
N: Closed; Cherries, hints of orange rind & notes of earth
P: LM, *poss* L, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a bit of astringent pucker which seamlessly transitions into a LONG, balanced finish with a delightful tangy/swtness to the firming, QUITE innocuous, dusty tannins. For now & the next couple of yrs, perhaps even a bit longer? My EXC/EXC+. 92 pts WE (4/1/06) @ $40, + numerous other scores on wine-searcher's Tasting Notes pg.
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Cork shredded as I tried to open it, so I didn’t have lots of hope. Jet black opaqueness. Not what I expected for a lesser known Brunello. Amarena cherry, leather and coffee on the nose. Rich, round mouthfeel, but still a bright, zingy acidity. Ripe, black cherry flavors, with wet earth, anise and plum notes. Long finish, with superfine, silty tannins. This was pretty amazing.
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A nice Brunello for current drinking. It has vibrant dark red fruit, including dusty cherries. It also has notes of dried oregano, cedar, saddle leather and some good minerality.
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Aroma: chemical, musty Palate: tannic and bitter, after an hour it is herbal, resinous, very dry, sumptious fruit shows through. Big wine. Very enjoyable with red meat.
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Sweet, tar and licorice. Probably at its peak. Tannins resolved. Solid everyday drinker. Would not have been been happy at $50 or $60, but picked off 6 bottles @$24, and it is well worth that.
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Throwing me off because to me this is almost a New World Cab. Unlike most Brunellos I've had. Deep black fruit concentrated--blackberry predominant. Not a lot of acid like I was looking for with food. Still seems young, another 5-6 years would not be out of the question. Has a dry finish, a bit woody.
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1 hr decant. Expressive nose of dark cherry, cedar and earth with time the nose became cab like with blackberry and vanilla notes. medium palate of tart cherry, black raspberry, cedar and spice. Medium plus smooth finish.
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Very well put together - especially for a 375l. Starting to show garnet around the edges. Red fruits....cherries, raspberries at the open. Medium body and smooth long finish. This is almost 12 years old, and has plenty left.
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Wonderful, ready to drink Brunello. Just purchased 6 375s, and had to try one. Not disappointed. Dry, earthy, classic. There's enoughnhere to last for 5-10 more years, but theres no reason to deprive yourself now.
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Slow-ox'd for ten hours. Tasted without decanting. Dark ruby red/burgundy colour, almost opaque at its core. Aromas of sottobosco/frutti di bosco, red licorice, red currant jam, black cherry. Rich and full-bodied, with gorgeous purity of fruit replaying from the nose. Tannins are integrating nicely, but still retain a bit of grip. Long finish, ~40-45s, with more frutti di bosco, red currant jam, and black cherry notes. Wow, this is a really delicious wine! Looking forward to following this wine over the remainder of the evening. Drink now-2021.
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The first of four bottles purchased on release and kept in our passive cellar. Decanted for 2 hours before serving leaving a slight sediment that was strangely crystalline and threadlike in appearance. Vibrant medium to dark ruby with a slight hint of browning at the edge. On first pour, it presented a restrained nose of dried cherries, roses, with a hint of leather, licorice, and fall leaves lurking in the background. First impression on the palette mirrored the aromatics. Medium weight, smooth and very well balanced at 13.5 ABV with silky tannins and fair length. Very clean, poised, and precise in character. At the 3 hour point it started to really open up and become more assertive and expansive with the secondary flavors emerging from the background. This is a Brunello that wants to try and straddle the line between traditional and modern with a tilt to the traditional. I will wait another year or two to open the next bottle and would recommend a three hour decant. I think this wine will continue to evolve and last for at least 8-9 years before starting to dry out. Looking back at my tasting notes last July on the 01 Coldisole, the Vitanza gave a much better accounting for itself tonight. 90 points on first pour, 91 with the last glass, and the potential to add another point or two at full maturity.
7/28/2013 Update The third of four bottles, this was double decanted back into the bottle three hours before serving leaving a substantial clumpy crystalline sediment that looked like tea leaves. It was placed in the fridge about 60 minutes before serving as the ambient temperature was in the high 70's. Although I didn't use a thermometer, I would estimate the serving temperature in the low 50's. Served with Cavatelli and a homemade basil pesto with a tomato-basil side and finished with a selection of cheeses. On first pour, it was clearly too cold and dulled. As it warmed, it blossomed into a lovely layered wine beautifully balanced between refined secondary flavors, bracing Sangio acidity, and polished tannins with a lively feel and lengthy clean finish. This wine has come along well since the first bottle evidencing better definition and new found finesse. A lovely wine coming into its prime; 93 points for the last glass with one remaining bottle which I will bury to see if it can make old bones.
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Exactly 1 year from last bottle, I let this slow-O and followed it's progression overnight. Garnet color, less than 70% opaque with average legs, sediment free. Day 2 found the tannins much more agreeable and the palate less volatile overall. A medium powered bouquet of roses and perfume, ripe cherry, cinnamon, tobacco, and peppermint. Some funky earth at the pop disappeared after enough aeration. Generous acidity and slate on the palate with perfectly integrated fruit that is just starting to slip into a background role. Long finish and certainly has a few good years left. 5+11+17+8 = 91
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straight out of bottle. color still fresh, no brown. Not much nose, a little raisen and some cherry , little bite at the end in back sides of finish. seems a little young still.
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Lovely and elegant. Cherries, caramel, and silky tannins. Opened up pretty well over an hour. So balanced and food friendly but never austere or sour. Well worth it at the closeout price, but I've yet to find a Brunello that for my taste is worth the full tariff.
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No formal notes. Decanted two hours before tasting, but it still didn't truly start to come out of its shell for another hour or two. Understated for a Brunello, definitely on the dry side, wonderfully layered and complex. Still impressively tannic, otherwise well-integrated and mature. Excellent, long finish. We mis-paired this with a beef dish; it would go great with a lighter pasta, but I found it to work best standing on its own. Give it ample time to open up and it will pay dividends. Outstanding.
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Garnet color. Cedar, flowers on the nose. Tight on open, but improved over the next 30 minutes. Medium body and first, transforming slowly to medium-full. Sour cherries on palate, with crisp acidity increasing over time. A very interesting wine that I enjoyed with dinner, and a fair price for this Brunello. Still feel like it was holding back a bit, so I will wait another 2 years before opening the next one.
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From 375, recently purchased from Wine Library. This was a decent bottle of wine to accompany spaghetti and homemade meatballs, but nothing to rush out an buy more of (even at $20 for 375ml).
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Youthful ruby-garnet color, 80% saturated. Given about 1 hour decant, it really didn't change much after that. Lovely spicy cinnamon red licorice aromas with strawberry and cherry also involved, some evergeeen needles and roses top it off. A firm but cool attack on the palate that invites large, swishy gulps (always a good sign imb). Top notch structure in acidity and sweet tannins holding in some of it's true potential which will be a few years off. Persistence through the finish is short-medium but not for any loss on delicacy or nuance. Very pretty wine 5+12+15+8 = 90
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9 years on and still very much primary. A little tight at first, but with time the nose goes on to reveal sour cherries, iron, cedar, and spices. The wine has a firm structure, a fair amount of acidity, and a clean, pure expression of red fruit - there is much to like here, even though I think the wine needs a couple more years at least. I'm willing to bet that this will improve to 90+ points.
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Dark inky deep red Nose is strong. Bright red fruit, a bit of cedar box on the nose. Very nice Firm tannins. Med finish to 20s. Red fruit on the palate. A good bottle
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Popped and poured. Holding up insanely well after 9 years, with really only the slightest tinge of rusty orange coloring around the edges. Even from the pop, the nose was singing, full of blueberries, a hint of strawberries, spice box, tobacco, and a touch of mint. The flavors took a bit of time to really begin to show what this had to offer (perhaps about an hour), but the wine is insanely well balanced from front to back with a decent structure still hanging on. At first it seemed to be lacking in some of that acidic zip I look for in Italian wines, but this seemed to gain as it took in the air. Just found these at a local wine shop for a bout $20 off, which really makes them a great deal for aged Brunello. Gotta go back for more before they are gone.
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Inky violet, a tiny whisper of brick, with deep, syrupy legs. Dusty, moderate nose of stewed black fruit, apple blossoms, caramel, leather, spice. Structured, dark, and unexpected on the palate, black plums and currants, with some acidic red fruit emerging towards the back of the palate alongside some extra-dark chocolate and brown sugar notes. As is so wonderfully typical for a Brunello, steadily evolved all night, with various elements steadily converging as time went by. Ended the evening almost like a port as the dark sugar and spice elements began to dominate. Long, long finish, with a fair amount of unresolved old world tannins that will still take some years to fade.
Shame on me, I drank this way too early. It's absolutely drinkable now, but a few years' patience should pay dividends; glad I have a few more bottles. 92 now, but this could well be headed for high 90s by 2012 or 2014.
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Very nice Brunello. Out of the bottle, very earthy with forest and mineral aromas and flavors. After a couple hours in the decantor developed crushed berry savory spice flavors. Complex enough to keep your interest. Nice silky tannins with good structure and balanced acidity.
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This bottle was really good, just a huge "wow" factor as one of the previous tasters noted, 100% sangiovese from Tuscany. First but not last of these. Unfortunately too expensive to be a good QPR ratio. Enjoyed with Kim pre-Thanksgiving dinner after being open for about 2 hours aerating but without decanting while actually cooking the Thanksgiving dinner.Very smooth, well balanced and mature tannins, great mouth feel. Deep complex nose with dark cherry, blueberrys the more the nose opened and allspice. Primary flavors included dark cherry, plum, blackberry, mocha and development of black pepper on very long lingering aftertaste. Highly recommend this wine.
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Wow...just wow. Purple, sweet, chewy...in all the right ways. Loads of character and entirely friendly. Notes of plum, chocolate, and pepper. If anything, might have drunk it a bit too early. Still a terrific joy. Served with butter-poached cube steak (ha!) and dijon-ed hash browns.
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12/24/2023 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aging slowly. This bottle was perhaps just past it zenith, but most I've had are not. Very typical red fruits, mushrooms, earthiness, dried herbs, touch of smoked meats/tar.
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10/29/2023 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great with brown butter sweet potato gnocchi in Los Gatos, super deep and dark fruit with savory umami for days.
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9/21/2023 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slow ox 5 hours. A little bit of orange at the edge but no material bricking. Red cherry with plenty of mushroom, forest floor and touches of cassis. Very smooth. 15 second finish. Still plenty of life.
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11/16/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gave it 3 hours slow ox. Very smooth and classic brunello from a very good year. Ripe dark fruits, with touches of red fruits, dried herbs, Oak and some mushrooms. Very smooth. Very little sediment. Just starting to brick a bit, but solid color otherwise.
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7/29/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Solid color with no real age showing. Took about 45 minutes in the glass to come around. Red cherry, barely ripe, some dark fruits as well. Dried herbs, Oak and touch of mushrooms. Very smooth. A full body mouthfeel. This bottle clearly had another 3 to 5 years quality drinking in it.
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7/24/2022 - sergio.bohon@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Took awhile to open up. Very solid and enjoyed very much.
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10/18/2020 - Brian Glas Likes this wine: 94 Points
A great bottle. Very expressive nose. Great fruit and persistence on the palate. Still plenty of life ahead.
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6/21/2020 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Don't know what it was like young but this had ample life taking a long decant in stride on day 2 after PnP previous evening, perfect cork pull too. Healthy musty-dusty cellar, saddle leather notes, and damp forest/rose garden on the nose. Red-brown bricking in full view, brooding old world and old school in dusty mouthfeel and notes of vanilla-tobacco, dark rich cherry-berry cobbler w/cream, mild peppery spice and a minty/licorice kick which went into high gear with dark chocolate dessert. Still holding together well and quite happy it wasn't a dud on dad's day.
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12/27/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#06 for me) (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): “From a 10 yr old vyd; Vinified for 28 days; Pre-soaking @ a cold temp for 3 days: pump-over following the density & the temp under computer control; Aged 36 mos in oak (70% Slavonian & 30% in FR tonneaux [Taransaud & Seguin Moreau]), ff’d by 6 mos in bottle; 100,000 bottles release 4/’06. 13.50% ABV, 1.9 g/L R.S., & 5.50 g/L T.A.”
N: Closed; Cherries, hints of orange rind & notes of earth
P: LM, *poss* L, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a bit of astringent pucker which seamlessly transitions into a LONG, balanced finish with a delightful tangy/swtness to the firming, QUITE innocuous, dusty tannins. For now & the next couple of yrs, perhaps even a bit longer? My EXC/EXC+. 92 pts WE (4/1/06) @ $40, + numerous other scores on wine-searcher's Tasting Notes pg.
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1/26/2019 - MarcEBeaudoin wrote:
Cork shredded as I tried to open it, so I didn’t have lots of hope. Jet black opaqueness. Not what I expected for a lesser known Brunello. Amarena cherry, leather and coffee on the nose. Rich, round mouthfeel, but still a bright, zingy acidity. Ripe, black cherry flavors, with wet earth, anise and plum notes. Long finish, with superfine, silty tannins. This was pretty amazing.
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4/23/2018 - danibus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious, prime drinking. Still bright cherries, leather, and earth.
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2/18/2017 - bmhusted wrote: 95 Points
Drinking at its prime!! Drank it from a magnum tonight, no decanting needed. Great aged color, musty smell, touch of dark plum. Wonderful.
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6/3/2016 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nice Brunello for current drinking. It has vibrant dark red fruit, including dusty cherries. It also has notes of dried oregano, cedar, saddle leather and some good minerality.
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2/4/2016 - Earl T Likes this wine: 89 Points
This wine has aged very well, better than early expectations
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9/25/2015 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 89 Points
A nice 2nd or 3rd tier Brunello. It has mature dark red fruit, saddle leather, a little tar and fully resolved tannins.
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5/4/2014 - BlancdeBlanc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aroma: chemical, musty Palate: tannic and bitter, after an hour it is herbal, resinous, very dry, sumptious fruit shows through. Big wine. Very enjoyable with red meat.
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1/12/2014 - Malibu wino wrote: 89 Points
Sweet, tar and licorice. Probably at its peak. Tannins resolved. Solid everyday drinker. Would not have been been happy at $50 or $60, but picked off 6 bottles @$24, and it is well worth that.
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5/19/2013 - dabovino wrote: 92 Points
In its prime.
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4/18/2013 - SexyEpicurean wrote: 89 Points
Throwing me off because to me this is almost a New World Cab. Unlike most Brunellos I've had. Deep black fruit concentrated--blackberry predominant. Not a lot of acid like I was looking for with food. Still seems young, another 5-6 years would not be out of the question. Has a dry finish, a bit woody.
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3/30/2013 - Earl T Likes this wine: 89 Points
still roses and cherry. not much nose. mid weight. i like it
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12/24/2012 - bobpsi Likes this wine: 91 Points
1 hr decant. Expressive nose of dark cherry, cedar and earth with time the nose became cab like with blackberry and vanilla notes. medium palate of tart cherry, black raspberry, cedar and spice. Medium plus smooth finish.
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12/11/2012 - Earl T wrote: 90 Points
Growing on me. Cherry, not ultr ripe but a little tart but somehow pleasing. Light finish, but tasty. Mid weight on palate.
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11/27/2012 - EJKIII wrote: 92 Points
Very well put together - especially for a 375l. Starting to show garnet around the edges. Red fruits....cherries, raspberries at the open. Medium body and smooth long finish. This is almost 12 years old, and has plenty left.
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9/28/2012 - EJKIII wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful, ready to drink Brunello. Just purchased 6 375s, and had to try one. Not disappointed. Dry, earthy, classic. There's enoughnhere to last for 5-10 more years, but theres no reason to deprive yourself now.
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5/25/2012 - futronic wrote: 93 Points
Slow-ox'd for ten hours. Tasted without decanting. Dark ruby red/burgundy colour, almost opaque at its core. Aromas of sottobosco/frutti di bosco, red licorice, red currant jam, black cherry. Rich and full-bodied, with gorgeous purity of fruit replaying from the nose. Tannins are integrating nicely, but still retain a bit of grip. Long finish, ~40-45s, with more frutti di bosco, red currant jam, and black cherry notes. Wow, this is a really delicious wine! Looking forward to following this wine over the remainder of the evening. Drink now-2021.
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2/26/2012 - VTCellarDweller Likes this wine: 92 Points
The first of four bottles purchased on release and kept in our passive cellar.
Decanted for 2 hours before serving leaving a slight sediment that was strangely crystalline and threadlike in appearance.
Vibrant medium to dark ruby with a slight hint of browning at the edge.
On first pour, it presented a restrained nose of dried cherries, roses, with a hint of leather, licorice, and fall leaves lurking in the background.
First impression on the palette mirrored the aromatics.
Medium weight, smooth and very well balanced at 13.5 ABV with silky tannins and fair length.
Very clean, poised, and precise in character.
At the 3 hour point it started to really open up and become more assertive and expansive with the secondary flavors emerging from the background.
This is a Brunello that wants to try and straddle the line between traditional and modern with a tilt to the traditional.
I will wait another year or two to open the next bottle and would recommend a three hour decant. I think this wine will continue to evolve and last for at least 8-9 years before starting to dry out.
Looking back at my tasting notes last July on the 01 Coldisole, the Vitanza gave a much better accounting for itself tonight.
90 points on first pour, 91 with the last glass, and the potential to add another point or two at full maturity.
7/28/2013 Update
The third of four bottles, this was double decanted back into the bottle three hours before serving leaving a substantial clumpy crystalline sediment that looked like tea leaves. It was placed in the fridge about 60 minutes before serving as the ambient temperature was in the high 70's. Although I didn't use a thermometer, I would estimate the serving temperature in the low 50's. Served with Cavatelli and a homemade basil pesto with a tomato-basil side and finished with a selection of cheeses.
On first pour, it was clearly too cold and dulled. As it warmed, it blossomed into a lovely layered wine beautifully balanced between refined secondary flavors, bracing Sangio acidity, and polished tannins with a lively feel and lengthy clean finish.
This wine has come along well since the first bottle evidencing better definition and new found finesse. A lovely wine coming into its prime; 93 points for the last glass with one remaining bottle which I will bury to see if it can make old bones.
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1/16/2012 - danibus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Finally, I get the fuss over Brunello. Beautiful cherries, minerality, caramel, leather, all in perfect balance. Polished and classy. Terrific.
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12/6/2011 - fingers wrote: 91 Points
Exactly 1 year from last bottle, I let this slow-O and followed it's progression overnight. Garnet color, less than 70% opaque with average legs, sediment free. Day 2 found the tannins much more agreeable and the palate less volatile overall. A medium powered bouquet of roses and perfume, ripe cherry, cinnamon, tobacco, and peppermint. Some funky earth at the pop disappeared after enough aeration. Generous acidity and slate on the palate with perfectly integrated fruit that is just starting to slip into a background role. Long finish and certainly has a few good years left. 5+11+17+8 = 91
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8/29/2011 - redman77 wrote: 88 Points
agree with emtame same juice bow from WL at 20
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8/6/2011 - revanness wrote: 91 Points
Still a little sharp after an 8 hour decant. Good value at $60.
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5/10/2011 - Earl T wrote: 89 Points
straight out of bottle. color still fresh, no brown. Not much nose, a little raisen and some cherry , little bite at the end in back sides of finish. seems a little young still.
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2/27/2011 - danibus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely and elegant. Cherries, caramel, and silky tannins. Opened up pretty well over an hour. So balanced and food friendly but never austere or sour. Well worth it at the closeout price, but I've yet to find a Brunello that for my taste is worth the full tariff.
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2/13/2011 - finlero wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes. Decanted two hours before tasting, but it still didn't truly start to come out of its shell for another hour or two. Understated for a Brunello, definitely on the dry side, wonderfully layered and complex. Still impressively tannic, otherwise well-integrated and mature. Excellent, long finish. We mis-paired this with a beef dish; it would go great with a lighter pasta, but I found it to work best standing on its own. Give it ample time to open up and it will pay dividends. Outstanding.
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1/17/2011 - Decanthor wrote: 90 Points
Garnet color. Cedar, flowers on the nose. Tight on open, but improved over the next 30 minutes. Medium body and first, transforming slowly to medium-full. Sour cherries on palate, with crisp acidity increasing over time. A very interesting wine that I enjoyed with dinner, and a fair price for this Brunello. Still feel like it was holding back a bit, so I will wait another 2 years before opening the next one.
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1/1/2011 - EMTAME wrote: 88 Points
From 375, recently purchased from Wine Library. This was a decent bottle of wine to accompany spaghetti and homemade meatballs, but nothing to rush out an buy more of (even at $20 for 375ml).
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12/7/2010 - fingers wrote: 90 Points
Youthful ruby-garnet color, 80% saturated. Given about 1 hour decant, it really didn't change much after that. Lovely spicy cinnamon red licorice aromas with strawberry and cherry also involved, some evergeeen needles and roses top it off. A firm but cool attack on the palate that invites large, swishy gulps (always a good sign imb). Top notch structure in acidity and sweet tannins holding in some of it's true potential which will be a few years off. Persistence through the finish is short-medium but not for any loss on delicacy or nuance. Very pretty wine 5+12+15+8 = 90
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11/29/2010 - heythatslife wrote: 89 Points
9 years on and still very much primary. A little tight at first, but with time the nose goes on to reveal sour cherries, iron, cedar, and spices. The wine has a firm structure, a fair amount of acidity, and a clean, pure expression of red fruit - there is much to like here, even though I think the wine needs a couple more years at least. I'm willing to bet that this will improve to 90+ points.
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10/24/2010 - Tag01 wrote: 89 Points
Dark inky deep red
Nose is strong. Bright red fruit, a bit of cedar box on the nose. Very nice
Firm tannins. Med finish to 20s. Red fruit on the palate.
A good bottle
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10/12/2010 - jhannah27 wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Holding up insanely well after 9 years, with really only the slightest tinge of rusty orange coloring around the edges. Even from the pop, the nose was singing, full of blueberries, a hint of strawberries, spice box, tobacco, and a touch of mint. The flavors took a bit of time to really begin to show what this had to offer (perhaps about an hour), but the wine is insanely well balanced from front to back with a decent structure still hanging on. At first it seemed to be lacking in some of that acidic zip I look for in Italian wines, but this seemed to gain as it took in the air. Just found these at a local wine shop for a bout $20 off, which really makes them a great deal for aged Brunello. Gotta go back for more before they are gone.
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5/24/2010 - finlero wrote: 92 Points
Opened an hour before tasting.
Inky violet, a tiny whisper of brick, with deep, syrupy legs. Dusty, moderate nose of stewed black fruit, apple blossoms, caramel, leather, spice. Structured, dark, and unexpected on the palate, black plums and currants, with some acidic red fruit emerging towards the back of the palate alongside some extra-dark chocolate and brown sugar notes. As is so wonderfully typical for a Brunello, steadily evolved all night, with various elements steadily converging as time went by. Ended the evening almost like a port as the dark sugar and spice elements began to dominate. Long, long finish, with a fair amount of unresolved old world tannins that will still take some years to fade.
Shame on me, I drank this way too early. It's absolutely drinkable now, but a few years' patience should pay dividends; glad I have a few more bottles. 92 now, but this could well be headed for high 90s by 2012 or 2014.
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3/21/2010 - JAT wrote: 93 Points
Very nice Brunello. Out of the bottle, very earthy with forest and mineral aromas and flavors. After a couple hours in the decantor developed crushed berry savory spice flavors. Complex enough to keep your interest. Nice silky tannins with good structure and balanced acidity.
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11/15/2009 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely beautiful Brunello... drinking incredibly right now. Decant for at least an hour... amazing.
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11/27/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was really good, just a huge "wow" factor as one of the previous tasters noted, 100% sangiovese from Tuscany. First but not last of these. Unfortunately too expensive to be a good QPR ratio. Enjoyed with Kim pre-Thanksgiving dinner after being open for about 2 hours aerating but without decanting while actually cooking the Thanksgiving dinner.Very smooth, well balanced and mature tannins, great mouth feel. Deep complex nose with dark cherry, blueberrys the more the nose opened and allspice. Primary flavors included dark cherry, plum, blackberry, mocha and development of black pepper on very long lingering aftertaste. Highly recommend this wine.
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6/15/2007 - ckennedy wrote: 93 Points
Wow...just wow. Purple, sweet, chewy...in all the right ways. Loads of character and entirely friendly. Notes of plum, chocolate, and pepper. If anything, might have drunk it a bit too early. Still a terrific joy. Served with butter-poached cube steak (ha!) and dijon-ed hash browns.
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