This wine was the topic of discussion in the comments to the post on the Fuligni Brunello. All sorts of professionals have given it high scores: Wine Enthusiast gave 92; Wine Spectator gave it 93; and most glowing of all, Stephen Tanzer gave it a 94(+?). So I splurged and bought a bottle for Kelly's birthday. I figured this is a chance to try a really good Brunello at a reasonable price (at least by Brunello standards).
It didn't live up to the hype, for either me or Kelly. Excellent structure, well balanced, and while it did open up after an hour or so, there just wasn't a lot of interest or complexity. I'd have to score it around 88 or 89. It's comparable in some ways to the Montus, in having great structure and balance with not a lot else (although the particular style is very different).
I'm not sure what's going on here. I don't think it's over the hill, as WS says best after 2010. Could it have been poorly stored? I know there's good wine standing upright on the shelves at Prospect St that has been there for more than a year, so that I know that storage isn't ANBL's forte. Or maybe the flavours of Brunello are just too subtle for my palate. But Stephen Tanzer talks about a "vibrant nose" and "intesity. . . of flavour" that I just can't find. Maybe it's a combination of all of the above.
Bottom line: I don't know what's up, but I won't be lining up to pay regular price for a Brunello, no matter how highly it's rated.
Here is what Kelly had to say:
"The nose is very promising, with dried flowers, stewed dark fruit, fresh berries, herbs, spices, licorice, and cedar. It is unmistakably Italian. On the palate it is full and clear, with firm tannins and plenty of acidity, but with few of the flavours that the nose promised. It is very long, but ends on a bit of a hard, sour note. It started a bit closed, but opened after about an hour. Very good with roasted duck.
I enjoy Sangiovese, but haven’t had a lot Brunellos - although I think it was a Brunello that originally got me excited about Italian wine. I found this one disappointing, mainly because I found that it didn’t offer much of interest on the palate."
Price: $64.72 (on Sale)
Score: 88
Value: 2/5
Region: Italy
Grape: Sangiovese
Tasted: March 2009
UPC:726452007915
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Thanks for the review- I had this wine in October and found it to be well structured in that it had good firm tannins that gave the wine a very good texture. It also had great stewed fruit, but for me the nose was remarkable- dried flowers and dusty gravel. I was also impressed that it was devoid of any 'Brett' or barnyard odours that I associate with this class of wine. The was no poo wine wine here. I will end up buying a bottle, but after 10 days in Florida- I will wait a while.
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