1990 Brunello di Montalcino

The 1990 Brunello di Montalcino impresses for its overall harmony. Everything is simply in the right place. The aromas, flavors and tannin have all matured evenly in this radiant, supple Brunello. Even at 21 years of age the 1990 remains a youngster, maybe with as much as another 20 years to go. Huge tannins frame the mouth-watering finish as the sheer vibrancy of Sangiovese saturates the palate with intense acidity. This is a great showing. Of course there is always an element of variation, especially among older wines, but I find it interesting that the straight 1990 Brunello appears to be aging more gracefully than the Riserva.

A severe, austere, tough-textured wine with little charm or obvious ripe fruit, this highly-structured, tannic Brunello reveals vague scents of cedar, new saddle leather and earth, tough, spicy, compressed flavors, and a boatload of tannin in the astringent finish. Five to ten years of cellaring is recommended, but do not expect much fruit to be present at the end of that sojourn. Apr 1996, www.robertparker.com