2001 Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino wafts up with a classic bouquet which opens with crushed fall leaves and undergrowth, yet it blossoms further to show dried red berries, dusty earth tones and worn leather. It’s supple in feel, almost velvety, yet still cool-toned with a herbal and acidic lift to its ripe wild berry fruits. This gains slowly in volume over time. It is most impressive for its feminine resonance. It’s also fully mature without a hard edge in sight, as the 2001 tapers off to sour citrus and minerals. This is fresher than the Riserva of the vintage but also more tertiary. That said, I believe that the 2001 has already peaked, but it will go on to provide many years of pleasurable mature drinking. Tasted from the importer’s reserve cellar.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
This family-run estate makes an excellent Brunello from its 15 hectares of vineyards in the Canalicchio zone of Montalcino. I recently had the opportunity to taste several vintages of the Brunello, which was a great opportunity to assess recent vintages as well as glean some insights into how the wine ages. From vintage to vintage the wine showed its characteristic notes of scorched earth and ripe dark fruit. With a few years of bottle age the wines often begin to display attractive, heady white truffle overtones. The house favors cask-aging for its Brunello and the wines are made in a fairly traditional style. The medium- to full-bodied 2001 Brunello di Montalcino is rich, plump, and bursting with flavor, showing subtle, delicately woven notes of earthiness, tobacco, smoke, minerals and plenty of dark cherry fruit supported by firm yet fine tannins. It is sure to improve with a few years of cellaring but it is quite impressive even today. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907
The medium- to full-bodied 2001 Brunello di Montalcino is rich, plump, and bursting with flavor, showing subtle, delicately woven notes of earthiness, tobacco, smoke, minerals and plenty of dark cherry fruit supported by firm yet fine tannins. It is sure to improve with a few years of cellaring but it is quite impressive even today. Anticipated maturity
Medium red. Pungent dried red berries and rose complicated by mocha, leather and spices: classic perfumed sangiovese. Then suave and silky in the mouth, with lovely vinosity and length thanks to harmonious acidity. Flavors similar to the aromas. Dry, concentrated and firmly structured Brunello, with excellent mouth coverage, fine-grained tannins and excellent persistence.