2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
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Tasting notes
Good dark red. Dark berries, licorice, smoke, mocha and coffee on the slightly reduced nose. Fat, sweet and moderately intense, showing only moderate mid-palate lift despite hinting at some unabsorbed acidity. Finishes with building toothdusting tannins. This wine needs at least a couple more years to harmonize. (A second bottle showed a high-toned cherry liqueur quality on the nose; a fat but distinctly drier middle palate; and a tougher, higher-toned finish featuring some drying oak tannins; I rated this bottle 87 points.)
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva bursts onto the palate with ripe dark cherries, menthol, flowers, licorice and incense. There is plenty of richness and power, but also faint, early signs of oxidation. My sense is that the fruit will drop out of the wine before the tannins soften.
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva bursts onto the palate with ripe dark cherries, menthol, flowers, licorice and incense. There is plenty of richness and power, but also faint, early signs of oxidation. My sense is that the fruit will drop out of the wine before the tannins soften. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. Importers: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907; Belvino Imports, Solon, OH; tel. (440) 715-0076
Concentrated and still youthful-looking ruby. Youthful palate too, slightly dominated by oak tannins, but has the concentration and length to come through. (WS)