2004 Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a woodland-inspired bouquet of cedar shavings and pine, giving way to wild berries, pipe tobacco, spiced orange and clove. Silken in texture, it boasts a core of ripe red berry fruits, echoing hints of brown spice with a minty flourish toward the close. Still gently tannic and incredibly long, the 2004 tapers off with a balsamic tinge and pleasant earthiness, all offset by a nip of tart cherry. This has undergone a lovely evolution in bottle but remains zesty and full of life. Fantastic.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright, dark red. Black cherry, currant, menthol and spicy oak on the slightly medicinal nose. Supple and fairly smooth on entry, then minty and classically dry in the middle, with menthol and mineral elements keeping the flavors quite tight today. This reminded me a bit of the 2001 version but with less early sweetness of fruit. Needs time.
The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is an intense, full-bodied offering loaded with dark fruit. The wine possesses tons of richness that carries through all the way to the finish, where notes of tar, licorice, new leather and minerals add further layers of complexity. Today it comes across as extremely primary, but this Brunello should develop beautifully with a few years in bottle. This is a striking wine of mind-bending purity. The Brunello saw a lengthy fermentation and maceration, and was subsequently aged in 30-hectoliter casks.
The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is an intense, full-bodied offering loaded with dark fruit. The wine possesses tons of richness that carries through all the way to the finish, where notes of tar, licorice, new leather and minerals add further layers of complexity. Today it comes across as extremely primary, but this Brunello should develop beautifully with a few years in bottle. This is a striking wine of mind-bending purity. The Brunello saw a lengthy fermentation and maceration, and was subsequently aged in 30-hectoliter casks. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Sesta di Sopra, a small estate in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, continues to ratchet up the quality, as is evidenced by their 2004 Brunello, which may be the very finest wine ever made here. Importers: Premier Wine Company, Richmond, CA; tel. (818) 731-6238