1999 Il Carbonaione

Rather closed on the nose. Sudden ripeness of red fruit in the mouth that has strong intensity and real purity. This is far from over-ripe, however, and has a substantial tannic finish that will mature well. (RH)

The 1999 Carbonaione has developed beautifully in bottle. It reveals superb elegance, with enticing notes of spices, coffee beans, menthol and ripe dark fruit that emerge from the glass. Made in a more slender style than the 2001, it nevertheless offers lovely harmony and balance. The 1999 has lost some of its baby fat and is approaching its peak of drinkability. 93/Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018. The estate’s 1997 Carbonaione is sweet, ripe and full-bodied, but with plenty of supporting structure underneath. Complex notes of tobacco, leather, sweet herbs and spices have developed in bottle, rounding out this soft-textured, caressing Carbonaione. As is often the case with wines from warm vintages, provenance is especially critical. Impeccably stored bottles have as much as another decade of prime drinking ahead of them.

Consistently brilliant, this 100% Sangiovese cuvee is aged 12 months in oak casks. The dense ruby/purple-colored 1999 reveals a sweet perfume of tobacco smoke, ripe black cherries, black currants, vanilla, cedar, and spice. Authoritatively flavored as well as elegant and measured, its hallmarks are purity, finesse, and intense flavors. Owners Vittorio Fiore and Adriana Assje have fashioned an impressive 1999. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620