See Walter's feisty introduction to his two recent Brunello tastings and his notes on 130 2008 Brunellos. The tasting notes below represent the first comprehensive look at 2007 Brunello Riservas from this particularly ripe vintage. A full 87 wines are reviewed.
The image is of the Benedictine abbey of Sant'Antimo in the south of the Montalcino zone which gives its name to a DOC whose extent is identical to that of Brunello di Montalcino and officially allows international varieties.
Wines are listed alphabetically by producer (sur)name.
Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Lifted cherry nose...
Just mid ruby and mature looking. Very ripe and a little stewed...
Mature, mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Balsamic with a...
Maturing mid-concentrated ruby with orange rim. Cherry liqueur...
Dark mature-looking ruby with narrow orange rim. Elegant fruit...
Dark, mature-looking ruby with brickstone rim. Like tucking into...
Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Mature, sweet and...
Deep ruby with narrow orange rim. Fruitcake-dominated nose...
Mature-looking mid ruby with broad brickstone rim. Gingerbread...
Mid ruby with the beginning of orange. Subdued nose of cherry...
Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Quite slow to open up...
Concentrated, mature-looking ruby with orange rim. Very round...
Deep ruby with orange rim. Quite heady nutty fruitcake nose...
Maturing mid ruby with brickstone rim. Brooding but already...
Very heavy bottle! Dark, mature-looking ruby. Very slow to...
Very heavy bottle! Impenetrable dark ruby with orange tinges...
Dark, maturing ruby. Herb liqueur nose. Seems a little stewed...
Concentrated ruby with the beginning of orange tinges. Cocoa and...
Impenetrable, youthful ruby. Firmly pushing the oak button, but...
Mid ruby with the beginning of orange on the rim. Sweet, earthy...
Maturing mid ruby with broad orange rim. Cedar and dark fruit...
Very dark ruby with orange tinges. Posh oak and brooding fruit...
Already mature-looking ruby with orange rim. Earthy, sweet and...
Deep ruby with narrow orange rim. Pronounced sweet, jammy fruit...
Dark ruby with orange rim. Fine nose of oriental spice and...
Mature and impenetrable ruby with narrow orange rim. Dark and...
Mid ruby with broad, orange rim. Exotic spice and quite savoury...
Quite developed mid ruby with broad brickstone-tinged rim. Slow...
Mid ruby with orange tinges. Still quite compact and marked by...
Impenetrable and already quite mature-looking ruby with orange...
Mature-looking ruby with brickstone rim. Herb liqueur and cherry...
Almost impenetrable dark ruby with orange tinges. Very ripe and...
Deep ruby with narrow brickstone rim. A little peppery on the...
Deep ruby with orange rim. Stalky, ripe fruit. Quite rich palate...
Deep ruby with broad orange rim. Earthy and subdued on the nose...
Deep ruby with orange rim. Savoury and quite compact. Intense...
Mature-looking mid ruby with orange rim. Compact and a little...
Deep ruby with orange-tinged rim. Quite pure fruit on the nose...
Deep ruby with narrow orange rim. Pretty stalky and a hint of...
Mid ruby with orange rim. Very closed, hints of liquorice. Quite...
Mid ruby with narrow orange rim. Hints of tobacco leaf, but...
Dark mature-looking ruby. Balsamic nose. Spicy too. Fairly sweet...
Deep and still youthful-looking ruby. Mellow, round and a little...
Concentrated ruby with orange rim. Fine oak and a hint of...
Mature-looking mid ruby with broad brickstone tinged rim. A...
Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. A little stalky and with...
Dark ruby just beginning to show some orange tinges. A little...
Deep, concentrated ruby with narrow orange rim. Heady, sweet...
Just mid ruby with broad orange rim. Earthy, rather than fruity...
Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Savoury and a little...
Dark, mature-looking ruby with narrow orange rim. Lifted sweet...
Concentrated ruby with orange rim. Quite restrained nose showing...
Mid ruby with orange tinges. Hints of black bread, tobacco and...
Mid ruby with orange tinges. Very closed on the nose. Lots of...
Deep ruby with narrow orange rim. Mellow and concentrated and...
Very dark, maturing ruby. Very shy on the nose, only the merest...
Looks like a very old mature wine. Very sweet and oxidised. (WS)
Very heavy bottle. Almost impenetrable dark ruby with narrow...
Almost impenetrable, youthful-looking ruby. Vinous nose, but not...
Deep ruby with orange tinges. Sweet and firmly in the dried...
Bright, mid ruby beginning to show some orange. Moroccan leather...
Very heavy bottle. Paleish burgundy look-alike. Undergrowth and...
Lacklustre mid ruby with broad orange rim. Lots of extract, but...
Impenetrable, mature-looking ruby with orange tinges. Savoury at...
Heavy bottle! Deep ruby, just beginning to show some age...
Heavy bottle! Almost impenetrable dark ruby. Intense raspberry...
Impenetrable dark ruby with narrow orange rim. Savoury, meaty...
Dark, maturing ruby with orange rim. Lots of dried-fruit...
Concentrated ruby with orange rim. Hint of horse saddle. Quite...
Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Very ripe and concentrated...
Mid ruby with orange rim. Earthy and kitchen spices and with a...
Deep maturing ruby with the beginning of orange. Fine, profound...
Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. A little rustic but...
Heavy bottle! Maturing mid ruby with orange rim. Sweet...
Mid ruby with broad orange rim. Quite mature in colour and in...
Just mid ruby with very broad orange rim. Quite developed on the...
Mid ruby with broad orange rim. Pretty, sweet cherry fruit...
Mature-looking mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Serious...
Very dark ruby with narrow orange rim. Fairly backward on the...
Just mid ruby with broad orange rim. Lifted earthy cherry...
Almost impenetrable ruby with orange tinges. Meaty and quite...
Quite dark ruby with orange tinges. Perfumed and heady. Sweetly...
Mid ruby with broad orange rim. A little stalky and earthy at...
Mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Very subdued on the nose...
Mature-looking mid ruby with broad orange-tinged rim. Slightly...
Impenetrably dark ruby and only just the beginning of orange...
Very dark ruby with orange-tinged rim. Fine, balsamic nose with...
