Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
With some of the entry-level Brunelli like this one, it’s a tough call when to open them. In my experience many try to play in the big leagues by overextracting. This one’s always been on the tannic, somewhat astringent side, so you want to wait to allow the tannins to drop and for it to settle down, but you don’t want to wait so long that the fruit dries up. I think this is about as good as it’s going to get. The fruit is still there, and the astringency is abating a bit. Still tannic. Good acids. Should go well with a simple pasta with tomato and sausage sauce.
UPDATE: After 24 hours under a vacuum seal, it was so astringent as to be nearly undrinkable, to my taste.
With some of the entry-level Brunelli like this one, it’s a tough call when to open them. In my experience many try to play in the big leagues by overextracting. This one’s always been on the tannic, somewhat astringent side, so you want to wait to allow the tannins to drop and for it to settle down, but you don’t want to wait so long that the fruit dries up. I think this is about as good as it’s going to get. The fruit is still there, and the astringency is abating a bit. Still tannic. Good acids. Should go well with a simple pasta with tomato and sausage sauce.
UPDATE: After 24 hours under a vacuum seal, it was so astringent as to be nearly undrinkable, to my taste.
Truncated notes. Advancing faster than other 15s I’ve had, it seems ready to drink with loads of secondary and tertiary characteristics of leather, earth, and warm terra cotta roof tile. Tannins resolving, the palate still shows a bit of nice dark macerated cherry fruit, and nice buoyant acid. 
Truncated notes. Advancing faster than other 15s I’ve had, it seems ready to drink with loads of secondary and tertiary characteristics of leather, earth, and warm terra cotta roof tile. Tannins resolving, the palate still shows a bit of nice dark macerated cherry fruit, and nice buoyant acid. 
Nov 12th, 2023
Smells of carmalized almonds.
Dried cherry, persimmon, anise, medium bodied and well made. Perfect time for cork popping, this is ready to drink and drinking well.
Lingering dried dark fruits, slight acidity, and just a chino or two of tannin.
Smells of carmalized almonds.
Dried cherry, persimmon, anise, medium bodied and well made. Perfect time for cork popping, this is ready to drink and drinking well.
Lingering dried dark fruits, slight acidity, and just a chino or two of tannin.
Smells like roasted almond
Fresh fruit shows through here - red delicious apple, Pom, cherry preserve. Roof of your mouth tannins , slight acidity.
Light in body, light in weight.
Easy quaffer.
Smells like roasted almond
Fresh fruit shows through here - red delicious apple, Pom, cherry preserve. Roof of your mouth tannins , slight acidity.
Light in body, light in weight.
Easy quaffer.
Color is alarmingly advanced. Nose has menthol, dried leaves, cured tobacco, very ripe fruit, and scorched earth note. The alcohol (15%) also is apparent on the nose. On entry, the palate is very ripe and peppery, but dries out pretty quickly as the scorchy notes and dried leaves come on. It’s a little puzzling how this got to be 15% in such a moderate growing season, but it seems to me this would have benefited from earlier picking.
Color is alarmingly advanced. Nose has menthol, dried leaves, cured tobacco, very ripe fruit, and scorched earth note. The alcohol (15%) also is apparent on the nose. On entry, the palate is very ripe and peppery, but dries out pretty quickly as the scorchy notes and dried leaves come on. It’s a little puzzling how this got to be 15% in such a moderate growing season, but it seems to me this would have benefited from earlier picking.
Oct 7th, 2020
Orange rim, can't imaging this improving more with time, still retains tomatoes and fruit with nice acidity, dead on Sangiovese all the way
Orange rim, can't imaging this improving more with time, still retains tomatoes and fruit with nice acidity, dead on Sangiovese all the way
Dec 30th, 2016
Aromatic. Red fruits and potpourri. Needs time to flaunt, but still never really shines.
Aromatic. Red fruits and potpourri. Needs time to flaunt, but still never really shines.
Dec 17th, 2016
Big potpourri nose, needed some time to open to show its red fruits. The texture and mouthfeel never found a direction, not bad but probably not worth the $50 tag
Big potpourri nose, needed some time to open to show its red fruits. The texture and mouthfeel never found a direction, not bad but probably not worth the $50 tag
Dec 17th, 2016A very traditional, highly aromatic approach.
A very traditional, highly aromatic approach.
Oct 28th, 2015
