Back when the 1997 vintage was released, there was a lot of fanfare and hype. Some bought into it and some didn't. But, the prices rose dramatically and at the time, this was one of the better values in Brunello (around $40). I was curious how well this held up. Sadly, after all this time, the bottle was corked (TCA). What a shame.
Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, dust, dried cedar and slight spice. Medium bodied. Wispy tannins. On the palate, this has a nice complexity to it. Layers of dried cherries, cherries and forest floor. Good acidity. Good finish. This is past prime and on the way down, so drink sooner than later. It is better with food. A nice plate of pasta with a tomato sauce would work well.
Having tasted this back in 2010, it was nice to revisit this. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. Lovely nose of cherries, sandalwood, black cherries and tea leaves. Medium tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, black cherries, some cherries with underlying forest floor. Nice finish. Still on the youthful side but starting to show some maturity. Complex and deep. Tightly layered. This should drink well for another seven to fifteen years. Very nice with a pasta with tomato vodka sauce.
Another top BdM from the consistently top producer. Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose is nice with cherries, spice, and a bit of tobacco. Medium to full bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, this has a tight complexity that unwinds in the glass. Lots of cherry fruit with some underlying forest floor and slight tea leaves. Good finish. This is a classic pizza wine and in fact, went great with some really creative wood fired pizza. Drink over the next ten years.
Purchased at the winery. Garnet in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with cherries, tea leaves, and coffee. Full bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, bright cherry fruit. Plenty of depth. Layered. Underlying tobacco/forest floor notes. Long finish. This is nice on its own but better with food. A big plate of pasta is the obvious choice. Drink over the next five to eight years.
Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, dried cherries, dried tea leaves, and some spice. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Light tannins. On the palate, this is a bit tired and past prime but still with something to offer. Cherries, dried cherries aand forest floor notes along with some old leather. Moderate finish. This is better with food at this point. It will work well with a nice plate of pasta. Drink up.
Classic Brunello from a stellar vintage. Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose opens quickly showing cherries, cranberries, sandalwood, and slight tea leaves. full bodied. Strong backbone of acidity. On the palate, cherries with slight black cherries. Firm tannins.
This is a big, modern-styled Brunello that is absolutely delicious. Purple in color with some ruby swirls, clear and bright. The nose is powerful with black cherries, baking spices, cedar and slight tea leaves. Full bodied. Nice acidity. Firm tannins. On the palate, black cherry fruit with some spice/oak. Wonderful texture. Long finish. This is not yet at peak but close. As the oak and tannins integrate, this may yet improve even more. That said, no harm drinking now. It drinks well on its own and will work well with bigger foods. Osso Buco would be a great choice.
Ruby to deep ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with cherries, tea leaves, some baking spice and roasted herbs. Great texture; juicy but plush. Full bodied. On the palate, cherries, black cherries over spice and charred herbs. Good acidity. Complex and deep. Long finish. This seems to be just on the younger side of peak. Very tasty. It should drink well for the next twelve to fifteen years. A nice match with Lamb Ragout.
This is a big, modern styled Brunello. It is also outstanding. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with cherries, forest floor, sandalwood and chocolate. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, plenty of oak coming off as spice and chocolate but plenty of cherry and black cherry fruit. This bottle is still youthful but getting close to maturity. Depth. Delicious. Nice finish. This drink great on its own and need some heavier food right now. Short ribs with Polenta seems like it would work well. Drink over the next ten to twelve years.
