So, in other words, last fall we had a Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino vertical with bottles ranging from 2010 all the way down to the late 1960’s.
While the best bottles were gorgeous, I must admit that I still think Brunellos really don’t age as reliably and gracefully as their brethren from Chianti Classico. We’ve had tastings with Chianti vintages going back to the 1950’s and usually the only problem is that some bottles can be corked - it’s almost supernatural how well they keep. Quite seldom we encounter any traditionalist Chiantis that are past their peak. Brunellos, on the other hand, tend to be quite unreliable. Even if the wines can keep wonderfully for decades, from my experience the incidence of BdM past its peak starts to grow worryingly fast after about 20 years of aging. One might have bottles that have been bought upon release and cellared reliably since, yet having a sound +30 yo Brunello seems to be a crapshoot. However, this is just a gross simplification - some producers make wines that have no problems aging for 50 years, at least in the best vintages.
I originally thought Brunellos were wines that are built to age - big, packed with fruit and concentration, are high in acidity and have lots of tannins. Yet first-hand experience seems to indicate the opposite: the wines can be very impressive in their youth, but for some reason they start to fall apart quite quickly, while the lighter, less tannic (although more acid-driven) Chiantis age crazy well in comparison. I guess that while Sangiovese can make bigger and more impressive wines in the warmth of Montalcino, that doesn’t necessarily translate into more cellaring potential. Or then it’s because of clonal diversity - there really is none in Montalcino, where all the clones belong to the Sangiovese Grosso group, whereas there are more different clones grown in Chianti, and some of these clones, like R24 and T19, belong to the Sangiovese Piccolo group. More information on this subject would be very welcome!
Anyways, there’s your little preface to this tasting. Most of these wines were very evolved, we had a good handful of wines past their peak (some even surprisingly young) and apart from a few odd bottles, all the wines that were drinking wonderfully seemed to be on their plateau of maturity - with a feeling that they had been there for some time already. It was definitely interesting to taste through these wines, but this is yet another data point in my list of reasons why I won’t be looking for any aged Brunellos to add to my cellar. If I’m going to buy any BdM, the bottles will be young and I’m going to make sure I’ll drink the wines before their 25th birthday. 20th, if I want to play it safe.
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2010 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
The fruit is sourced from vineyards averaging 10-25 years old. Fermented spontaneously in cement vats. Aged for 3 years in large Slavonian oak casks. 13,5% alcohol. Bottle #31763 of total 65914 bottles.
Moderately translucent and slightly evolved cherry red color. Beautifully fragrant, somewhat evolved and slightly sweetish, red-toned nose with attractive, layered aromas of wizened red cherries, some tobacco, a little bit of old leather and dried flowers, light pruney nuances, a hint of something vaguely animale and a touch of strawberry. The wine is poised, harmonious and silky on the palate with a rather full body yet surprisingly airy and supple overall feel. There are complex, dry flavors of pronounced sour cherry bitterness, some pipe tobacco, a little bit of wild strawberry, light old leather notes, hints of dried flowers and dried aromatic herbs and a touch of stony minerality. The structure relies more on the high acidity, as the ample yet ripe and powdery tannins contribute more to the texture instead. The finish is long and dry with complex flavors of sour cherry bitterness, old leather, some tobacco, light ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of stony minerality, hints of wizened red plums and cherries and a touch of farmhouse funk.
A beautiful, harmonious and also surprisingly approachable Biondi-Santi Brunello, considering the wine has merely passed its 10th birthday. The finesse here is extraordinary; while so many Brunellos are very muscular, powerful and dark-toned in overall quality, this wine is remarkably Burgundian, emphasizing elegance, high acidity and red-toned flavors. Although the wine does show ripeness and has a full body, the emphasis isn’t there, but instead in the harmony between the fruit, the non-fruit flavors, the firm yet silky structure and the body of the wine. Truly a classic from an excellent vintage. Thoroughly drinkable already now, but will continue to improve for years more. Highly recommended. (94 pts.)
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2010 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Aged for 2 years in oak barriques and demi-muids, followed by a shorter period in large botti casks. Aged for a minimum of 4 months in bottles before release. 14,8% alcohol, 1,3 g/l residual sugar, 5,2 g/l acidity and 0,41 g/l VA. Total dry extract 29,5 g/l.
Moderately translucent cherry red color with a somewhat evolved dried-blood hue. Noticeably ripe, quite concentrated and somewhat sweet-toned nose with aromas of juicy cherries, some savory wood tones, a little bit of strawberry, light blackcurrant tones, a toasty hint of mocha oak and a touch of pipe tobacco. The wine is ripe, rich and full-bodied on the palate with intense and rather solar flavors of sanguine meat, sour cherries, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of juicy strawberry, light extracted notes of woody bitterness, a hint of sun-baked dry earth and a touch of tobacco. The structure relies mostly on the high acidity, as the tannins come across as surprisingly soft and mellow, contributing mainly to the texture. The finish is dry, very gently grippy and moderately bitter with long flavors of sour cherries, ripe dark fruits, some toasty mocha oak tones, a little bit of coffee, light licorice root notes, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of strawberry.
A very big, ripe and solar Brunello that comes across as surprisingly juicy and soft for a 2010 Sangiovese - normally these wines have been quite firm, stern and structure-driven, whereas this wine was more about juicy, supple fruit and relatively pronounced oak aromatics. I expected the wine to feel relatively classic after 11 years of aging, but instead it tasted surprisingly polished, modern and glossy. Although the oak isn’t overdone in any way and the wine really can’t be described as “oaky”, the oak influence is quite pronounced here compared to the older vintages of Barbi and when tasting this wine side-by-side with Biondi-Santi Brunello 2010, the oak feels almost in-your-face at times. I hope some additional aging might integrate the woodier tones a bit better with the fruit - at least the wine feels like it could easily evolve for another decade. (89 pts.)
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2004 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Aged for 2 years in oak barriques and demi-muids, followed by a shorter period in large botti casks. Aged for a minimum of 4 months in bottles before release. 14% alcohol.
Dark, moderately opaque and surprisingly evolved figgy hue with a mature, slightly syrupy brown hue. Surprisingly evolved and even somewhat tired nose with quite tertiary aromas of pungent soy sauce and rancio, some figgy tones, a little bit of sweet, wizened red cherry, light notes of tobacco, a hint of fresh red plums and a touch of raisin. With air the raisiny notes seem to only grow in intensity. The wine is dry, somewhat tired and slightly tough on the palate with a medium body and quite tertiary flavors of loamy earth and autumnal damp leaves, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of pungent soy sauce, light beef jerky tones, a mushroomy hint reminding me of older Palo Cortado Sherries and a touch of saline rancio. The wine is moderately high in acidity, but the structure relies more on the assertive and noticeably grippy tannins. The finish is dry, quite long and rather tannic with pretty tertiary flavors of beef jerky, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of salty soy sauce, light bitter nuances of sour cherries, an autumnal hint of damp leaves and a touch of loamy earth.
This is not oxidized or completely shot, but it isn’t far from that either. In our Barbi vertical this wine came across as one of the most mature wines we tasted - and we tasted vintages all the way back to the 1960’s! Based on the small sample of tasting notes in CT, either there is a lot of bottle variation in Barbi BdM 2004, or then this vintage has already peaked some time ago and is now slowly gliding downill. I really don’t see any upside to aging this wine any further and instead I’d recommend to empty any remaining bottles quite fast. A disappointment. (82 pts.)
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1997 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Aged for 2 years in oak barriques and demi-muids, followed by a shorter period in large botti casks. Aged for a minimum of 4 months in bottles before release. 13% alcohol.
Quite deep, dark and almost fully opaque cherry red color with moderately evolved, syrupy-brown highlights. The nose feels developed and quite sweet-toned with aromas of wizened dark plums and dried figs, some leathery tones, a little bit of cigar, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of balsamic richness and a sweet touch of toasty oak spice. The wine is evolved, medium-bodied and moderately savory on the palate with flavors of wizened sour cherries, ferrous notes of blood, some balsamic tones, a little bit of leather and pouch tobacco, light crunchy notes of cranberries, mature hints of soy sauce and mushroomy funk and a sweeter touch of dried figs. Although rather mature, the wine still retains impressive sense of structure, thanks to its high acidity and firm, rather grippy tannins. The finish is long, grippy and quite savory with developed flavors of sour cherry bitterness, leather, some sanguine notes of iron, a little bit of meaty umami, light sweeter notes of dried figs, a hint of balsamic richness and a touch of autumnal leaves.
A very developed yet still quite lively Brunello at its peak. The wine shows a great deal of evolution, but even though it is starting to get moderately tertiary, it still retains a good deal of vibrant fruit, intensity and sense of structure, never really coming across as tired or particularly oxidative. However, I doubt there is very little if any room for further development, which is why I’d drink the wine sooner rather than later. I have a hunch that the wine’s structure is going to outlive its fruit. Good stuff, albeit nothing mindblowing. Recommended, all the same. (90 pts.)
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1991 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Aged for 2 years in oak barriques and demi-muids, followed by a shorter period in large botti casks. Aged for a minimum of 4 months in bottles before release. 13% alcohol.
Quite deep and somewhat translucent brick red color with moderately evolved, syrupy-brown highlights. Very mature, savory and quite fascinating nose with complex aromas of raw meat, fragrant mushroomy notes of chanterelle, some leathery tones, a little bit of bouillon, light earthy nuances, oxidative hints of soy sauce and rancio and a ferrous touch of blood. Especially the chanterelle notes seems to persist on top of the other aromas even when the wine opens up in the glass. The wine feels pungent, somewhat thin and quite tertiary on the palate with dry flavors of crunchy cranberries, some mushroomy nuances of chanterelle, a little bit of meat stew, light ferrous notes of blood, hints of game and meaty umami and a touch of earth. The wine is high in acidity, and although the wine doesn’t feel that tannic, the light body doesn’t really offer any counterpoint to the tannins, which makes the wine feel rather austere and grippy. The finish is long, tertiary and quite grippy with dry flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some oxidative soy sauce and beef jerky nuances, a little bit of blood, light gamey tones, a hint of earthy and a touch of mushroomy funk.
A rather aged and tertiary Brunello that has already passed its peak, but not too long ago - even though the wine is a bit lacking in body and weight, it is still relatively balanced and enjoyable. There’s some oxidative tertiary character for sure, but it doesn’t dominate over what little fruit is still remaining in the wine. The firm and quite unresolved tannins do call for some food, though. All in all, good stuff that is best drunk sooner rather than later. (88 pts.)
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1986 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
13% alcohol.
Evolved, moderately translucent maple syrup color with a deep reddish core. Fine-tuned and somewhat sweetish nose with aromas of raisins, some dried dates, light smoky notes of tar, a little bit of charred game and slightly animale funk, a hint of wild strawberry and a touch of blood. The wine feels ripe, silky and slightly sweet-toned on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite mature flavors of wizened sour cherries and ripe strawberries, some gamey tones, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light stony mineral tones, an oxidative hint of beef jerky and a touch of smoke. The overall feel is quite structured, more thanks to the high acidity than to the ample but quite resolved and silky tannins that contribute more to the texture. The finish is savory, somewhat grippy yet not tough or aggressive and quite lengthy with flavors of tart cranberries and sour cherry bitterness, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of old, cracking leather, light smoky notes of tar, a hint of tobacco and a touch of meat consommé.
An evolved, tertiary and nuanced Brunello at its plateau of maturity. The wine feels fully mature, but it also shows quite a bit of depth and substance with still vibrant fruit that has not yet completely faded away. Some people seemed to find the smokier notes a bit disagreeable, but in my books this wine was in a terrific spot right now, showing great sense of balance between its fruit, body and more tertiary flavors. Most likely the wine has been peaking for many years now, probably even for a decade, and it won’t stay this good for much longer, but I doubt the wine will fall apart just yet. Drink now or in the near future. (91 pts.)
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1981 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
13% alcohol.
Quite translucent, luminous and somewhat evolved maroon color with a thin, orange-yellow rim. Fragrant, somewhat evolved nose with aromas of wizened cherries and some dried dates, light mushroomy notes of porcini, ferrous nuances of raw meat, a little bit of old leather, a hint of dusty earth and a touch of rowanberry jam. The wine feels ripe, silky and dry on the palate with a medium body and relatively youthful flavors of crunchy cranberries and sour cherries, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of stony minerality, light metallic notes of rusty nails, a sappy hint of raspberry leaf and a touch of tobacco. The high acidity lends great sense of focus and structure to the wine, whereas the tannins feel relatively light and only very slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is crunchy, somewhat grippy and medium in length with flavors of crunchy cranberries and wild strawberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of something metallic, light smoky notes of tar, a hint of wizened raspberry and a sweet touch of dried red fruits.
A surprisingly youthful and fresh Brunello that would’ve been very lovely if it weren’t for the somewhat distracting metallic note, which seems to only grow towards the aftertaste. The wine came across as much more youthful than any other wine in the tasting, apart from 2010 and 1997 - many younger vintages felt much more evolved than this wine. The wine seems to be in a wonderful spot right now, although it’s quite obvious that it can at least hold - if not even improve - for a good handful of years more. However, that metallic note does take its toll on the score, as it really distracts from the pleasure - without it my score would’ve been easily in the low-to-mid 90’s. I hope that tinny nuance was just due to bottle variation and the other bottles of this 1981 don’t have that same metallic off note. (87 pts.)
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1978 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
13% alcohol.
Moderately dark and somewhat opaque syrupy-brown color with a luminous reddish hue. The nose feels somewhat oxidative and quite tertiary with slightly pungent aromas of soy sauce, some sweet syrupy tones, light fruity notes of cherries, dried figs and raisins, a little bit of gamey meat, a balsamic hint of VA and a touch of nutty rancio. On the palate the moderately full-bodied wine feels similarly oxidative, but with quite a bit of balancing fruit, lending a nice illusion of sweetness to the taste. There are flavors of oxidative rancio and beef jerky, sweet notes of raisins and prunes, some wizened sour cherry tones, a little bit of balsamic VA, light mushroomy tones and a hint of syrupy richness. The structure feels still relatively tightly-knit, thanks to the moderately high acidity and still rather firm and grippy tannins. The finish is long, savory and quite tertiary with complex and somewhat oxidative flavors of raisins and prunes, some earth, a little bit of sharp rancio, light ferrous notes of blood and a hint of soy sauce.
This wine managed to be quite lovely for one short moment, but it lost its most vibrant fruit notes in mere moments and after some 10 minutes of so the oxidative nuances had overrun most of the youthful nuances. However, the wine didn’t fall apart immediately, but managed to feel very enjoyable for such an old wine for a good period of time - only after another half an hour or so the wine really fell apart completely. The wine was still very different to the other lesser (ie. more oxidative / oxidized) vintages, which were just old and flat from the get-go. This wine managed to offer a good dead of pleasure even after it started to turn tertiary, which is why I’d say this wine isn’t going downhill yet, but is still on its plateau of maturity, or just past it. One just should be aware, however, that the wine really doesn’t call for much aeration, but instead should be drunk very soon after it is decanted off the sediment. No point in aging this any further as I don’t see any room for any additional development; drink now or soon in the future. (89 pts.)
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1975 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Bottled in a 0,72-liter bottle. 12,8% alcohol.
Pale, luminous copper color with a light yellow-orange rim. Strikingly gueuze-like, bretty nose with aromas of leathery funk, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of smoky phenolic character, light earthy nuances, a hint of crunchy cranberry and a touch of barnyard. Although the nose is quite brett-dominant, it really doesn’t feel unpleasant, but instead surprisingly fascinating. The wine is silky, dry and evolved on the palate with a medium body and complex, savory flavors of leather, meaty umami, some crunchy cranberry tones, a little bit of salty beef jerky, light sour cherry notes, a hint of ferrous blood and a slightly bitter touch of phenolic spice. The high acidity takes care of most of the structure, as the fine-grained, textural tannins have lost most of the grip. The finish is lively, long and gently grippy with flavors of crunchy cranberry, some ferrous notes of blood, light lambic-like notes of bretty leather and phenolic spice, light tertiary notes of salt-cured beef, a hint of smoke and a touch of barnyard.
An old, savory and surprisingly funky Brunello that is very unlike any other Barbi Brunello we tasted in our vertical; while many older vintages have started to develop tertiary flavors of leather and tobacco, this wine was very funky and obviously bretty with a strong lambic-like overall aroma and showed those distinctive, aromatic new leather notes typical of brett. However, despite its obviously bretty overall character, the wine didn’t feel excessively funky, just pleasantly rustic. Otherwise it was a classic, old Sangiovese at its plateau of maturity; tertiary, but not past its peak. Although not the most typical vintage of Barbi, this was thoroughly enjoyable stuff. (90 pts.)
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1970 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Bottled in a 0,72-liter bottle. 12,8% alcohol (unlike the previous bottle of 1970 I tasted, which was 13% and in a 0,73-liter bottle, according to the label).
Luminous and moderately deep cherry red color with an evolved reddish mahogany rim and an brick-orange rim. Very characterful, fragrant and even slightly lifted nose with singular aromas of dried mint and lavender, some smoky phenolic notes, a little bit of sour cherry, light sweet notes of blackcurrant jelly, a hint of old dry leather and a touch of something weird, perhaps rubber or fireworks smoke. The wine feels ripe, evolved and silky on the palate with a moderately full body and somewhat tertiary flavors of juicy dark berries, some minty tones, a little bit of sour cherry, light oxidative notes of beef jerky and salty rancio, a hint of game and a touch of rubber. The wine feels high in acidity with resolved medium-plus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums and turn the wine quite grippy. The finish is evolved, quite silky and gently grippy with long, savory and slightly weird yet not unpleasant flavors of minty lift, some rubbery tones, a little bit of dried aromatic herbs, light oxidative notes of beef jerky and soy sauce, a hint of tart lingonberry and a touch of pipe tobacco.
A characterful - even slightly odd - but also very balanced and enjoyable old Brunello at its peak. Unlike the bottle I had 5 years ago - which was perfectly normal - this has some slightly atypical nuances, but even though they did grab my attention, they really didn’t distract from the pleasure and the wine came across as pretty lovely effort. I still would say I enjoyed the “normal” version of this vintage slightly better, but even then this slightly weird bottle was among the better wines we had in our Barbi vertical (92 pts.)
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1969 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Bottled in a 0,73-liter bottle. 13% alcohol.
Medium-deep, moderately translucent and still relatively youthful brick-red color with an almost colorless rim. Fragrant, vibrant and still quite youthful nose with aromas of strawberries, some lifted notes of cool herbs, light almost-foxy notes of cassis and grape juice, a little bit of sweet pipe tobacco, a hint of wizened red fruits and an oxidative touch of beef jerky. The wine feels ripe, juicy and moderately full-bodied on the palate with bright flavors of tart lingonberries, ferrous blood, some wizened sour cherry tones, light oxidative notes of salt-cured beef and bouillon, a little bit of pipe tobacco, a lifted herby hint of minty coolness and a touch of balsamic VA. Even though the wine is over 50 years old, it still retains impressive sense of structure, thanks to its high acidity and powdery, fine-grained and still somewhat grippy tannins that slowly pile up on the gums, making the wine ultimately come across as moderately tightly-knit and tannic. The finish is dry and quite grippy yet also very fresh, lively and juicy with focused flavors of crunchy cranberries and sour cherry bitterness, some balsamic tones, a little bit of lifted, herbal greenness, light notes of tobacco, an oxidative hint of salty rancio and a touch of dried red fruits.
An exceptionally fresh, vibrant and lively Brunello that hasn’t fallen apart yet, but instead retains quite a bit of both fruit and structure. Probably the most impressive vintage in our vertical, along with the slightly more evolved yet still similarly impressive 1968 vintage of Poggio alle Mura Brunello. Although youthful, there’s no denying that this wine feels very mature, but comparing this to the other vintages from the 1960’s and 1970’s we tasted, this felt way younger than any other vintage we had. Terrific stuff. Most likely the wine won’t evolve anywhere from here but down, so there’s no point in aging it any further, but since the wine doesn’t seem to show any signs of decline, there’s no real hurry, either. Drink or keep. (94 pts.)
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1968 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Bottled in a 0,72-liter bottle. 12,8% alcohol.
Pale, fully translucent and quite tertiary brick-orange color. Very evolved and somewhat flat nose with dull aromas of dusty earth, some decomposing old wood tones, a little bit of vegetal beetroot character or something, light mushroomy nuances of truffle and a hint of beef jerky. Very little in the way of fruit at this point. The wine feels old, tired and somewhat oxidative on the palate with a medium body and very tertiary flavors of beef jerky and meat consommé, some dusty notes of earth, light salty notes of soy sauce, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, a hint of mushroomy funk and a sanguine touch of iron. The structure remains quite intact with the high acidity and still somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is old, silky and gently grippy with a somewhat thin and very tertiary aftertaste of dried meat, some salty notes of rancio, light tart notes of cranberries, light earthy notes, pruney hints of dark fruits and a touch of pouch tobacco.
Not completely oxidative, but obviously quite past its peak already. The wine hasn’t fallen into pieces completely, but it is getting very tired and very little fruit remains at this point. Better to drink sooner rather than later, there’s no point in cellaring this wine any further. (81 pts.)
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1968 Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (19.10.2021)
Bottled in a 0,72-liter bottle. 13% alcohol. Tasted in Barbi Brunello 2010-1968 vertical next to 1968 Barbi Brunello.
Surprisingly dense and dark, almost fully opaque syrupy-brown color. Rich, sweetish nose with lush aromas of dried figs and syrupy molasses, some cherry marmalade, light raisiny tones, a little bit of balsamic VA, a hint of Russian candy and a subtly buttery touch diacetyl. The wine feels ripe, full-bodied and fully mature on the palate with flavors of raisins, prunes and dried figs, some meaty umami, light balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of wizened black cherry, a hint of pipe tobacco and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine feels still rather structure as it is quite high in acidity with ample, moderately resolved tannins that still retain some grip without coming across as aggressive. The finish is long, savory and moderately grippy with evolved flavors of wizened black cherries and raisins, some rich notes of balsamico, light meaty notes of umami, a little bit of pipe tobacco, an oxidative hint of tangy rancio and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A beautiful, harmonious and wonderfully evolved Brunello at its peak. The wine shows a good deal of ripeness, but also enough sense of structure to keep it wonderfully in balance even after +50 years. The 1968 Barbi didn’t stand a chance against this wine, because it was so oxidative and obviously going already downhill. However, the 1969 Barbi came across as similarly impressive, showing perhaps a bit less ripeness and complexity, but conversely more freshness and youthful qualities. Hard to say which was better, this wine or that 1969 Barbi Brunello, but them both were the two best wines we had that evening. Terrific stuff. (94 pts.)
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