Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 2001

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

2001 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino

This wine isn’t fully bloggable - ANBL has the 2000 vintage, not the 2001. But that’s close enough - call it quasi-bloggable. (BTW, I say ANBL has the 2000 vintage, but that’s only from the website, which isn’t always accurate with respect to vintage. Anyone know if it really is the 2000 that is in stock?)

— Tancred’s Review —

While visiting a relative in the US, I tried the 2001 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino, a wine that WS rated at 95. It turns out that NB Liquor carries the 2000 vintage that WS rated at a 90, so I figured I would say something about the 2001 edition.

This was a superb wine that had aged very nicely. No longer tight and concentrated as WS noted when they reviewed it on release, the Fuligni was big and lush and had layers of complexity. Finely balanced, excellent mouthfeel and a finish that went on and on.

As for score though, I'm not sure about 95 (and more generally I find WS scoring bemusing sometimes, across the scoring spectrum). I would expect to be amazed with a 95 wine, like I was with the Pio Cesare Ornato 2001 a few years ago. The Fuligni wasn't quite up to that mark.

Has anyone tried the 2000 edition? I would be most interested to hear how it was. And if money and supply were no object, I would love to have a blind pairwise tasting of these two vintages.

— 2000 Vintage —

Price: $75.16
Region: Italy
Grape: Sangiovese
Tasted: March 2009
UPC: 726452007786

Poggio Antico Altero Brunello di Montalcino 2000

Here's a review from Iron Chef:

Christmas Eve get-together in New Maryland, decanted 2-3 hours. I have been waiting to spring this on a friend as a blind tasting as I know he thinks that Brunellos are Poo wines, and I have somewhat agreed in recent tasting. But after I had the Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 2001 at the Muriel McQueen Ferguson Wine event and I was shocked how good it was, I had to try another Brunello. The first sip out of the bottle once it was opened was that familiar scent of Barnyard and Brett as the professionals term it. I hate that smell. But after a couple of hours a beautiful wine emerged. The nose was full of Black Bart chewing gum, Liquorish. Also an interesting scent of dried Roses and lavender. Heady alcohol and old old wood smell. The palate was mouth puckering dryness- very tannic, Red Cherries and Petrol, it was probably too early to open it, but Wow … this was really good. I wish I had bought more at the time. The nose of dried roses was really impressive. This wine could have evolved for a really long time.

This is neat

Retail Price: Approx $60- last years wine sale at ANBL.
Grapes: Sangiovese
Tasted: Dec 2008
UPC: no longer available