Title Brunello di Montalcino 1999s
Author: Linden Wilkie
Venue: London – Landmark Hotel
Date article was added: 12 January 2004
Date of event January 12, 2004
Consorzio del Vino di Montalcino trade tasting of 1999 Brunello di Montalcino
Each year the Consorzio announce the quality of the vintage in a one to five star rating. 1999 had been declared four stars. Having tasted a number of the wines on show at their ‘trade and press’ tasting in January, it strikes me that the vintage star rating system doesn’t help the consumer a great deal, except in the very broadest sense. On the whole the wines seemed better than the 4 star rated 1994s, on a par with the 4 star rated 1993s. Indeed in a Harpers Magazine interview, the director of the Consorzio said it should have been given a higher rating, but wasn’t felt to be as good as the 1997 vintage, and on reflection, the 1998 vintage should be downgraded from 4 stars to 3½ . Oh well.
The vintage was certainly good, but the wines were as variable in quality as you might find anywhere, and there is a myriad of styles to consider. Do you prefer the delicate, perfumed, lighter coloured brunellos with strawberry and raspberry fruit, or denser, richer dark cherry and mocha-flavoured brunellos with plenty of oak and power? I prefer the former, and although I gave high marks to those in the latter style when they seemed to deserve it, for my money, you cannot beat a perfumed, refreshing style of brunello with delicacy and acidity retaining the fruit’s natural character. My complaint with the latter style is two-fold – they can begin to lack the stamp of origin – too international – and they sometimes have alcohol above 14% which can exacerbate brunello’s sometimes coarse tannin structure on the finish.
There were a number of wines that offered good drinking, but were expensive for the pleasure they give. I wouldn’t buy them. There were some real disappointments too – grubbiness, ‘greasy’ notes, and sometimes a slightly green astringency.
On the other hand there were some real highlights, with wines equalling or bettering some 1997s I’ve had. The two highlights for me for the 1999 vintage were:
Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino 1999, £25, 94/100
Light ruby, clear; beautiful sweet heady fruit aromas – cherry and raspberry – very perfumed; supple, sweet elegant fruit, just delicious with a lingering, morish finish. Ready to enjoy now, and great value.
Il Poggiolo ‘Beato’ Brunello di Montalcino 1999, £60, 95/100
Mid-ruby; nice sweet and savoury nose; lovely supple, ripe, smooth palate, a beautiful expression of brunello fruit, long on the palate and seductive with an endless finish. Just lovely. Expensive, but one of the very best brunellos I’ve tried.
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