Brunello di Montalcino 2007

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Today Walter moves on from Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to Montalcino.

See
What's new, Montalcino? for the background to this collection of Brunello di Montalcino 2007 tasting notes, taken at the annual Benvenuto Brunello tasting, and see Guide to Walter's Tuscan week for links to all the other articles. 

The wines are grouped by quality category and then alphabetically by producer (sur)name.

Angelini 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Concentrated but evolved ruby with broad, orange rim. Beef-stock opening. This herbal streak also has an initial grip on the fruit, but there is more concentration on the finish. Rather dry. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Argiano 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with broad orange rim. Subdued nose. Rather closed on the palate too. Very slow. Powerful, grainy tannin. So slow! Brooding concentrated fruit on the finish. Long. Monolithic. (WS)
Drink
2014
2022
16.5

Castello Banfi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid to pale ruby with orange tinge. A bit weedy and unfocused on the nose. Mellow, round palate without a lot of tension. More like a modest Rosso than anything else. Special supermarket cuvée? (WS)

Drink
2012
2014
14.5

Barbi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Concentrated, mid ruby with slight orange tinge. Compact, subdued and very backward. Won't allow itself to be pulled out of the glass even when swirled energetically. Clever oak management, good balance. Lots of sweet fruit seems to secure a bright future. Big. (WS)
Drink
2013
2020
16.5

Baricci 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium ruby starting to mature. Hint of forest floor and spice. Gentle and elegant palate and with the right dose of tannin. Ever so slightly bitter on the finish, which lets it down. (WS)
Drink
2012
2017
15.5

Belpoggio 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Deep ruby with orange-tinged rim. Quite sweet, and with almost a hint of coconut. Shows a core of sweet fruit with contrasting drying tannin. Very sweet finish. Piles it up high. (WS)
Drink
2012
2020
16

Bonacchi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Deep ruby just beginning to get lighter on the rim. Soft, round, sweet and a touch creamy. Impressive, sweet length but needs more complexity. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15

Brunelli 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid crimson. Very stubborn and slow. Rich and very concentrated sweet fruit and muscular fine tannin. Great stuffing and ripeness. Just at the beginning of its development. Very concentrated, almost rich finish. (WS)
Drink
2014
2020
16.5 +

Canalicchio di Sopra 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Concentrated ruby with small orange rim. Immediate, sweet dried fruit kept in check by acidity. Undeniably very ripe, but not too dense. Popular appeal seems secured. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
16

Canneta 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium concentrated dark ruby and orange rim. Hints of very ripe fruit but surprisingly closed to the point of being numb. Seems hugely concentrated, but a bit rustic on the finish. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Cantina di Montalcino 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium concentrated, evolved ruby with broad orange rim. Sweet dried-fruit hints. Bit one-dimensional because of that. Lacks the stuffing to make it a real Brunello. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
14.5

Capanna 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Deep, concentrated ruby with orange tinge. Richness backed up by big tannins. Undeniably concentrated, but lacks finesse. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15

Caparzo 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with broader orange rim. Seems slightly evolved on the nose with the first signs of tar. Quite Sangiovese, though. Nice richness and acidity. Stalky, persistent finish. (WS)
Drink
2013
2019
15.5

Castello di Velona 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Ever so slightly lacklustre ruby with orange tinge. Curiously exotic spice nose. Sweet fruit struggles a little with the oak tannin. Very dry tannin on a sweet fruit finish. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
14.5

Le Chiuse 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid crimson with orange-tinged rim. Intense, sweet cherry fruit with grippy tannin. Not the most polished, at least not at this moment, but does the job admirably. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Col d'Orcia 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Lacklustre medium ruby with orange tinge. Creamy nose followed by a fruit-driven palate. Crunchy tannin keeps it interesting. Good length. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Il Colle 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium concentrated ruby with broader orange-tinged rim. Very spicy and worryingly leathery, which has a grip on the fruit, at least for the moment. But the concentration is there. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

La Colombina 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium concentrated ruby with orange rim. Stalky and herbal. Seems a tad unripe. Contrasting sweet fruit with a very dry finish. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
14.5

Cupano 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Deep ruby just beginning to show orange. Pretty sweet and commercial and a tad stewed. No real breed here. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
14.5

Fanti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium ruby with orange rim. Mellow and easygoing, and not terribly demanding. Some tough tannins on the finish. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
14.5

Fattoi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby just beginning to show some orange. Chalky and hints of oak. Plenty of extract and almost completely integrated acidity. Crunchy tannin, a crowd pleaser. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
16

Claudia Ferrero 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Concentrated crimson. Rich and attractive oak nose. Good concentration and balance. Undeniably rich, but has enough personality to pull it off. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
16

La Fiorita 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium concentrated ruby with lighter rim. Almost brutally sweet oak. Dominates the palate too. Rich and sweet finish with drying tannin. (WS)
Drink
2012
2017
15

La Fornace 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium ruby just beginning to show some orange. Earthy with a hint of shoe polish and oak and the beginning of tar. Liquorice and lingering fruit, but lots of aggressive, drying bitter tannin. (WS)
Drink
2013
2017
14.5

La Fortuna 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid crimson with broader, orange-tinged rim. Intriguing sweet fruit with depth. Lots of concentrated sweet cherry on the palate. Very good length with stalky tannin. Rich and satisfying. (WS)
Drink
2012
2020
16

Fossacolle 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Concentrated but evolved-looking ruby with orange tinges. Quite mature with a distinct note of dried fruit. Quite bold tannin and seems to lack a bit of fruit to offset this. Mid term. Touch dry on the finish. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
15

La Fuga 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid crimson. Sweet, oaked fruit on the nose, and lots of sweet concentrated fruit on the palate. Quite dense and popular. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Fuligni 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Concentrated ruby with orange-tinged rim. Very young and spicy. Juvenile on the palate too. Quite closed but fragrant finale. Lots of stalky tannin demanding more time. (WS)
Drink
2014
2020
16

La Gerla 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Deep ruby with orange tinge. Very Sangiovese with a mature edge to it but not yet fully open. Touch of farmyard? Lovely concentration with the merest suggestion of oak. Intense fruit finish with persistent tannin keeping the attention span. (WS)
Drink
2013
2020
16.5

Lisini 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid crimson just beginning to open up. Sweet liquorice and herb liqueur. Full bodied but with low-key fruit. Bit drying on the finish. (WS)
Drink
2013
2018
15

La Magia 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Deep ruby just beginning to show some orange on the rim. Opulent fruit cake and dried fruit with black tea. Very accessible, but perhaps not complex enough to justify the Brunello tag. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Mastrojanni 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with orange rim. Sweet cherry fruit with a dusting of cocoa. Fragrant spread with minerally and savoury notes and ongoing coating tannin. (WS)
Drink
2014
2022
16.5

Máté 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium ruby with palish orange rim. More minerally than fruity on the nose, at least for the moment. Extremely fine, concentrated fruit core, with crunchy tannins. Ends a tad stalky but lots of promise for the future. (WS)
Drink
2014
2022
16

Mocali 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby just beginning to open up on the rim. Posh oak, and quite a lot of that. Plenty of concentrated fruit to cope with that, but a little bit more hands-off winemaking would do the trick! (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15

Silvio Nardi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with orange tinges. Quite dumb on the nose and not very expressive on the palate. There is richness but I miss the finesse. Perhaps it is yet to come? (WS)
Drink
2014
2020
16

Siro Pacenti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Ever so slightly lacklustre mid ruby with orange-tinged rim. Very low key and a touch vegetal. Much richer on the palate, but lacks complexity. Perhaps this will come round? (WS)
Drink
2012
2017
15

La Palazzetta 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Concentrated ruby with orange rim. Ripe and soft with notes of baking spice. Tad simple on the palate, but has length. Drying finish. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
14.5

Il Paradiso di Manfredi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Quite evolved, dark ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Very ripe, perhaps a touch stewed. Nice tannin structure and good concentration, but already quite developed. Perhaps not enormously impressive. For drinking now. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Agostina Pieri 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Palish ruby with broad rim. Quite sweet and ripe, almost like Mon Chéri chocolate, with hints of dried fruit. Elegant palate weight. Lots of concentrated sweet fruit on the finish. A touch rustic perhaps. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
16

Pinino 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Evolved-looking medium concentrated dark ruby. Sweet fruit with a hint of cooked rhubarb. Lively palate, but the fruit struggles with the oak. (WS)
Drink
2012
2017
15

La Poderina 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid crimson with the beginning of orange tinge. Very compact and backward. Opens up on the finish. Impressive tannin and concentration, and yet elegant. Wait. (WS)
Drink
2014
2022
16.5 +

Poggio Antico 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mature-looking medium concentrated ruby. A touch candied and peppery on the nose. Sweetly perfumed. Very extracted, but with the right amount of acidity and with enormous length. Quite brash oak treatment, but the wine pulls it off in style. Modernist. (WS)
Drink
2012
2022
17

Il Poggione 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Dark ruby with orange-tinged rim. Savoury, and dense nose. Reluctant to show fruit. Grippy fruit palate. Great effort for the vintage. Rich, indeed, but classy. (WS)
Drink
2014
2022
17

Le Potazzine 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Perhaps a touch overripe, certainly not the most complex on the nose. Good concentration on the palate, though, but needs to go the extra mile, which this isn’t doing. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15

Quattroventi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Quite deep and dark with orange rim. Stalky and a bit grubby at first with leathery oak notes. A tad sweet and docile on the palate. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
14.5

Le Ragnaie 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with orange rim. A bit herbal and stalky and a tad sweet on the finish. Has the signature Le Ragnaie elegance on the palate, but is just a touch too leafy and stalky. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Le Ripi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Oak piled high here. Vanilla and coconut smothered fruit. Seems a bit outdated to make wine like this. (WS)
Drink
2012
2015
14

Ruffino, Greppone Mazzi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Maturing mid ruby with broad orange rim. Very closed. Very backward on the palate too, full bodied and sweet fruit concentration on the finish. Embryonic and potentially huge, nothing shy about this. (WS)
Drink
2013
2020
16.5

Salvioni 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Roast aromas and sweet fruit and a hint of horse saddle. Elegant palate weight and aromatic build up on the finish. Real bite and crunch. (WS)
Drink
2014
2020
17 +

San Polino 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Concentrated ruby with orange-tinged rim. Fragrant and ethereal with a fine spicy edge. Lots of concentration here, with matching crunchy tannin. Ripe and dense without going over the top. Already approachable but will age. (WS)
Drink
2014
2020
16.5 +

San Polo 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with orange tinge. Elegant black tea and cherry nose. Elegant palate too with good balance. Not hugely complex but very attractive. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
16

Vasco Sassetti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid crimson with the beginning of orange on the rim. Stalky, herbal and a bit vegetal. Elegant mouthfeel, with convincing concentration and length. Shame about the unfocused nose. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
16

Sesta di Sopra 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium ruby with broad orange tinge. Starts quite medicinal but with a sweet, spicy layer underneath. Very ripe fruit with a fruit-cake edge. Quite sweet and can be drunk now. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5

Sesti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Palish maturing ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Very stalky and a bit grubby. Sweetly fruity, but fails to convince. (WS)
Drink
2012
2016
15

Talenti 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Very sweet and with a hint of dried fruit. More depth of fruit on the palate and with lots of extract. Could be a bit more complex. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
16 +

Uccelliera 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Lacklustre mid ruby with small orange-tinged rim. Quite ripe and spicy and with bags of concentrated sweet fruit and richly tannic. Lots of stuffing. Generous. (WS)
Drink
2012
2020
17

La Velona 2007 Brunello di Montalcino

Maturing, mid ruby. Lifted note with the first signs of maturation. Lots of crunch and ripeness and very accessible. (WS)
Drink
2012
2018
15.5