1968 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
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Tasting notes
Bottle number 07479. Re-corked 12 September 2000. A difficult vintage for Tuscany, with rather hard wines, but this is an exception, Sergio tells us. Palish brown-orange ruby with broad, watery, bricky rim. Sweet undergrowth with hints of gingerbread, leather and earth on the nose. Really compelling, but perhaps a little less impressive than the 1969 and just a little more developed and oxidative than the previous wines. Pretty upfront acidity on the palate and then a soft, aromatic, dried-fruit finish with fine, grainy tannins. Has aged graciously, and still going on, but has very much reached its plateau. (WS)
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 1968 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva comes across as a slightly more mature version of the 1975. Bold, pungent and explosive for a wine of its age, the 1968 offers up an intriguing mélange of wild herbs, dried flowers, lavender, smoke and dried cherries. This is another delicate, fleeting Brunello with compelling aromatics and nuanced, soft fruit, all supported by veins of bright Sangiovese acidity. Now fully mature, the 1968 is a wine to drink now and over the next decade or so. Put simply, the 1968 Riserva is everything a wine of this age and era should be. This is another super-impressive Riserva from Biondi-Santi. Reconditioned September 12, 2000.