TNs: 1998 and 1990 Brunello di Montalcino night

1988 AND 1990 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO NIGHT - Lafiandra, Singapore (24/3/2021)

A lovely night of fun company and good wines - this was a lovely way to explore Brunello over two strong vintages, and away from the two big boys (Biondi Santi and Soldera). The wines. all well kept, were remarkably strong and consistently good.

  • 1990 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
    Pretty good. The nose here was a little funky on first blush, with some meaty, sauvage aromas, maybe wet leaves and leather, all curled around a sweeter core of black cherries and plums, dried earth and mineral, and then a nice touch of lifted wild herbs and peppery spice around the sides. Not bad, but not exactly what I would call alluring. I really liked the palate though - much better than the nose I thought. There was still a nice little grip of slightly powdery tannins and a good bit of balancing acidity running through pleasantly bright flavours of morello cherries and dried strawberrries, these seasoned with a nice bit of flowery herbs, and then a little touch of peppery spice, all trailing away into a decent finish. Not the most complete wine - this lacked a bit intensity past the midpalate, where it was maybe just starting to flag a little. Otherwise though, this was a good, enjoyable Brunello. (92 pts.)
  • 1988 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
    Very enjoyable - this was a nice bottle aged Brunello. The nose was very classic BdM, with perfumy notes of red cherry and sweet wild berries, violets, and little bits of dried earth and spice. The palate was really something too. Juicy, chewy, with a shadow of fine tannins and really nice bright acidity punctuating its deliciously fresh flavours of sour cherries, strawberries and red plums. Nice touches of spice, herb and some earth then started coming in on the midpalate and beyond into a quietly lingering finish. Really delicious stuff. There was an old-school nobility and elegance to this. While not a blockbuster, it was a real charmer. This well stored bottle was drinking very well on the night. (93 pts.)
  • 1990 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
    This was very, very good indeed, if just a touch on the modern side. The nose was really expressive, with fragrant notes of woody incense swirling around aromas of plums and blueberries, some dried violets, earth, a hint of bloody meat, and then little touches of herb and spice. Quite captivating. The palate though was where it really lifted off. Wow. There was a lovely liveliness, even transparency to this, with a really bright expression of dark cherries, red plums and fresh berries - all showing a good bit of power, yet always remaining lithe and sinewy, with a lovely sense of structure throughout. A real delight. It was lovely on the midpalate and into the finish too, with lots of those juicy dark berry fruit flavours, this time infused with wafts of spice and dried herb, and again a blush of powdery incense trailing away into a beautifully long, detailed finish. This was a tremendous wine - complex, delicious, and showing beautifully now. My only down point was perhaps the rather noticeable amount of wood on this, but otherwise, really, really nice. (94 pts.)
  • 1990 Tenuta Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
    I really enjoyed this. It had a lovely nose, with pretty drifts of spice and dried flowers, red cherries and wild strawberries, with a little kiss of earthiness at the edges. The palate was stunningly youthful, with a spine of bright acidity and fine-boned tannins stretched through lovely, juicy flavours of sweet red cherries and darker berries, a little meat and earth, and then a lovely blush of smoky spice blooming away into a nice finish. Very good indeed, and drinking nicely now. There was a tremendous amount of almost tomato-like acidity on this, which kept it so very alive, and lent it a chameleon-like ability to go with a lot of the Northern Italian dishes we had on the night. (93 pts.)
  • 1988 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
    Lovely. What a beautiful nose this had, with lovely notes of dried plums and wild berries, dried flowers and spice, and just a little dusting of dried earth at the edges. A lovely perfumed bouquet. The palate was great too - fine-boned, velvety tannins; soft but juicy acidity, all wrapped around a plump core of dark cherries and plums, some earth, a touch of mineral, these seasoned with a good bit of cigarette smoky and fragrant spice as the wine faded into a charming finish. Lovely. It lacked some of the weight of say the 1990s, but this had such a noble charm to it, with a lovely shape and definition to boot. (93 pts.)
  • 1988 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pian Di Conte - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
    A good wine, but this was one of the laggards on a very strong night. The nose was quite pleasant, with notes of cherries and berries, a bit of dusty earth, and just a little distracting twist of glycerol. I thought the palate showed a bit better, It was still very fresh and juicy, full of dark cherries and berries patted down with a bit of earth and a little touch of spice. While neither as complex nor as compelling as the best BdMs on the night, this was quite a delightful drink in its own way. (92 pts.)
  • 1990 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vin Santo di Montepulciano
    This was special - and just about stole the show on what was supposed to be a Brunello di Montalcino night. It had such a lovely nose, dripping with walnuts and honey, maple and dried figs, Middle-Easter dates and cherry liquer, all infused with a lovely, rich spiciness. Wow. Probably the nicest, most complex bouquet I have ever smelt on a Vin Santo. The palate took off where the nose left - rich and creamy, yet with a lovely seam of freshness that kept it always beautifully poised and balanced, it unfolded in the mouth in unctuous layers of honey and dried figs, apricots and dark chocolates, and then a lovely long tail of molasses and spice at the finish. An ageless wine, drinking beautifully now, and yet seemingly indestructible. This will age in the bottle for just about forever. (94 pts.)

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