Last of three bottles of this. It’s never been the fruitiest or friendliest Brunello. And it’s still quite tannic, but it’s resolving well and, in my view, at its peak. To wait longer for the remaining tannins to fully drop would be at the expense of the remaining fruit. Color is going brown at the rim. Nice intensity and decent balance right now. Mostly tertiary notes, but there is a core of morphing fruit underneath. Should go well with the Tuscan beef stew (Peposo) I’m making.
Last of three bottles of this. It’s never been the fruitiest or friendliest Brunello. And it’s still quite tannic, but it’s resolving well and, in my view, at its peak. To wait longer for the remaining tannins to fully drop would be at the expense of the remaining fruit. Color is going brown at the rim. Nice intensity and decent balance right now. Mostly tertiary notes, but there is a core of morphing fruit underneath. Should go well with the Tuscan beef stew (Peposo) I’m making.
Jan 25th, 2026[Night 1:] On the lower-toned end of the flavor spectrum. Dark, smoky, leathery notes take the lead on the nose, with some very dark cherry verging into blackberry fruit in the background. Loads of warm sandstone. Tannic, dark, and large-framed in the mouth. Maybe a tad scorchy. Not my style (I like ‘em with more cherry fruit and freshness). Others may like this more.
UPDATE: Night 2 this is much nicer. Dark cherry liqueur fruit has moved to the fore, and the tannins are not nearly as prominent. Amazingly, I’m upping this from 8.8 to 9.1. Obviously the moral of the story is to give this guy plenty of air.
[Night 1:] On the lower-toned end of the flavor spectrum. Dark, smoky, leathery notes take the lead on the nose, with some very dark cherry verging into blackberry fruit in the background. Loads of warm sandstone. Tannic, dark, and large-framed in the mouth. Maybe a tad scorchy. Not my style (I like ‘em with more cherry fruit and freshness). Others may like this more.
UPDATE: Night 2 this is much nicer. Dark cherry liqueur fruit has moved to the fore, and the tannins are not nearly as prominent. Amazingly, I’m upping this from 8.8 to 9.1. Obviously the moral of the story is to give this guy plenty of air.
Apr 12th, 2020
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
