In Search of Brunello di Montalcino´s Soul - Chapter XXXV

The last chapter is tasted. And what a tasting! One corked bottle but besides that it was a showing of great Brunello´s from a great year. They all have the stuffing for further progress, yet they were very easy to drink with a lovely mouth feel, something I noticed the day after...
All that is left of this project now is the Epilogue - coming soon.

The Brunello´s were tasted single blind. All decanted two hours before the first pour.
The rest of the bottle will show up in a separate post.

Flight I
2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Fuligni
A deep, complex, multi layered nose with notes of sweet cherries, violets, licorice and sun warm Tuscan gravel. Very, very fine. Some balsamic notes after a while. Lovely. Very sweet fruit. Great balance.
The taste is big, tight and concentrated with notes of sweet red cherries, licorice, warm herbs, dark cookie dough and moist earth. A fine oak treatment. Very long and complex. This has a hint of maturity, but will surely evolve more the upcoming 3-5 years. Stunning.
94p   (tasted 2013/09)

2001 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso Riserva Santa Caterina d´Oro, Ciacci Piccolomini d´Aragona
And I thought that Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Spätlese + producer used to be a long name of a wine to jot down...This impressive Riserva has an even longer one - and what a wine! The nose soars up from the glass with scents of black cherries, rose petals, dried herbs and a hint of chocolate. Deep and fine.
The taste is young, tight and intense with notes of sour/sweet cherries, licorice, balsa wood and dried flowers. Great length. The tannins are finely polished and are very noticable in the finish. This needs 5+ years.
93p   (tasted 2013/09)

2001 Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne, Donatella Cinelli Colombini
It must be the female touch, beacause this is a beauty! The nose is full of ripe cherries, rosehips, summer flowers, sweet minerals and a fine Cobiha note. Deep, elegant and utterly gorgeous. You could sit and sniff this all night long.
The taste is aristocratic, intense and deeply hedonistic with notes of ripe cherries, rosehips, gravel. warm tiles and a touch of dark chocolate. A minute long finish with finely polished tannins. The mouth feel is amazing. This beauty is drinkable now but should get even better with 4-6 years in the cellar. Magnificent! Several, me included, had this as their favourite in flight I.
96p   (tasted 2013/09)

2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Phenomena, Sesti
Corked! #¤%&#"%(&%¤ A shame since I have never tasted anything from Sesti.

2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Il Poggione
A deep, old school nose with lots of red cherries, road dust, herbs and violets. Open up nicely in the glass. A touch of dog fur. Deep and powerful. Very, very good.
The taste is full of big, brawny tannins and sweet/sour cherries. In the minute long finish there is lots of sweet minerals and high acidity. This is still young, needs at least 8+ years in the cellar. Impressive.
92p   (tasted 2013/09)

Flight II
2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Canalicchio - Franco Pacenti
A gorgeous nose oozes up from the glass with scents of sweet/sour cherries, licorice, autumn leaves and sage. A very fine sweetness to the fruit. Deep and fine. Some maturity.
The taste is intense, fresh and multi layered with fine notes of sweet black cherries, licorice, violets and minerals. A long, balanced finish with some unresolved tannins in the end. This is very good, and on its way to maturity which it will hit in 3-5 years time.
92p   (tasted 2013/09)

2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Conti Costantini
This stunner has a deep, willful, powerful nose that is intoxicating. Gorgeous aromas of cherries marinated in balsamic vinegar, cigarette ashes, licorice and a touch of milk chocolate fills the nose. Stunningly sweet fruit. A head turner for sure.
The taste is a good as the nose lets on - the fruit is amazing, the tannins and acicity backs it all up and the finish goes on for over a minute. Rich and chewy but oh so joyful. Simply wonderful!
95p   (tasted 2013/09)

2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento, Col d´Orcia
After tasting the 1982 & 2004 Poggio al Vento I had high expectations on the 2001. And it fulfilled them with flying colors! The nose is intense, high and pure with notes of ripe red cherries, sage leaves, tea bags, dried flowers and warm gravel. Very deep. Lots of sweet minerals. Just lovely. Still very young.
The taste is the proverbial "an iron fist in a velvet glove" - the best way to describe this glorious wine. Ripe red cherries paired with notes of warm tiles, rosehips, dried flowers and gravel. The finish just goes on and on and on. Impressive, but oh so young, this needs 8+ years in the cellar. Will rival the 1982 in due course.
95p   (tasted 2013/09)

2001 Brunello di Montalcino La Cerbaiola, Salvioni
Could it get even better? Oh yes, it could! The 2001 Salvioni is a masterpiece, a long the line of the 1997, tasted earlier this year. This is what dreams are made of. Gorgeous aromas of the ripest cherries imaginable, Cohiba ash, dried flowers, violets and a warm Tuscan gravel road. Ethereal in the true sense of the word. And still young and perky.
The taste is velvety yet packing a punch, especially in the extra long finish. Wonderful notes of sweet/sour cherries, rosemary bushes, black tea, leather and warm tiles. The balance and structure is awesome. Perfection in the making, just wait another 6-8 years. Hands down the favourite in flight II.
98p   (tasted 2013/09)

2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Case Basse, Soldera
Since we tasted single blind we didn´t know the identity of the wines until we tasted trough the separate flights, but I think all guesses was on Soldera on this backward, massive creature. The nose is bottomless deep and hauntingly beautiful with notes of red currants, red cherries, cigarette ashes, rose petals and dried herbs. A gorgeous perfumed note. But in a sense it felt like we were only scratching the surface, there will be more to come.
The taste is tight, backward and very intense with a wall of sweet tannins and notes of red cherries, tobacco, dusty earth and dried flowers. The finish goes on for ever it seems, but the tannins got the upper hand and it ends dry and even a bit foursquare. It definitely got the stuffing for something really great in 10+ years time. More impressive than hedonistic today.
95p   (tasted 2013/09)