Monumental Brunellos

Posted on 22 February 2013

Day 3 of my Brunello di Montalcino visits with Tim Atkin MW is over. We again were spoilt with a number of world-class wine, having an embarras du choix between the lithe, sophisticated, elegant wines of Lisini (the 2006 Ugolaia is stunning, one of the best Brunellos we’ve tastes in these days) and the potent, structure ageworthy bottlings of Mastrojanni (crowned by the 2008 Schiena d’Asino, a true grand cru).

And just when I thought we’d had the best of the day came a private dinner with Count Francesco Marone Cinzano of the Col d’Orcia winery, at Il Leccio in Sant’Angelo (likely the best restaurant in the area). Cinzano – who also owns the Caliboro winery in Chile, and we tasted an utterly delicious sweet late harvest Torontel 2008) – very generously brought magnums of his Brunellos to the table. So we tasted the 2006 Brunello which from magnum, was fantastic with depth and dimension and lovely balsamic fruit. Then we tasted the even better 2004 Brunello which was all of the above plus some extra freshness and minerality. Then the 1998 Riserva Poggio al Vento was even better, adding layers of subtle ripe fruitiness and that resolved oily texture only proper age can give to a Brunello.

And then we had the 1995 Poggio al Vento which incredibly, was even better, a step up in elegance and silkiness while retaining the 1998’s incredible freshness and harmony. A 100-point wine. I can be fairly critical of Brunello but in front of a wine like this, you can only shut up.

Disclosure

My stay in Tuscany is sponsored by the producers’s consorzios of Chianti DOCG, Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Brunello di Montalcino. Dinner and five wines kindly offered by Col d’Orcia.