2004 Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is in a lovely place in its maturity, still a dark, vivid ruby color. It wafts up with a mesmerizing blend of incense, exotic spice, smoke, flowery underbrush and crushed black cherries. This is deeply textural, silken and nearly creamy in feel, with masses of ripe red berry fruits and nuances of spiced citrus propelled by a stream of juicy acidity. There is still a bit of residual tannin here. Depths of licorice and inner rose tones give way to a note of hard red candies on the close. An exceptional interpretation of the vintage, the 2004 should continue to evolve for many years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Pretty glorious actually. Tense, layered and fragrant with dried wild flowers and smoked herbs. A tapestry of spice and sun-dried fruit, some raisins steeped in tea. Very exciting, sinuous length. (TC)
Good full medium red. Mellow, inviting, soil-driven nose offers scents of potpourri, flowers, leather, smoke and damp earth. Silky, fleshy and suave, with a compellingly round texture and lovely fullness without any impression of excess weight. Boasts plenty of life in the mouth. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lingering notes of tobacco, game and camphor. A Brunello that conveys a classic noble rusticity.
Far from the deepest ruby with some evolution, veering to Sangiovese orange, at the rim. Tarry, burnt farmyard notes on the nose. Then a certain transparency. Really racy and readable. Nothing forced here, though you can taste that it was certainly a ripe vintage. (JR)