What a great opportunity to taste 13 of the best Brunello producers from one of the best vintages in history! And the critics are right about 04 Brunello - the WOW factor is definitely there and in full effect.
Now, true to a blind tasting, we did not know which wines were being poured in the glass?. Only that it was 2004 Brunello di Montalcino. We simply wrote notes for each wine we tasted and then decided which Brunello we liked the best and rated them. At the end of this remarkable tasting, we found out which wines we liked the best, everyone's favorite, etc...
So here's a couple of my personal faves:
2004 Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso- great nose with beautiful dark fruits, leather, black pepper and a hint of sweet oak. Very powerful with surprising length on the finish. Absolutely delicious!
2004 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino- a wonderful deep garnet in the glass, bursting with dark cherries, underbrush, and anise. Very nice mouthfeel with integrated tannins and long finish.
2004 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova - Everyone's FAVORITE by a landslide! This wine sung! It has richness and finesse that is indescribable. From the beautiful fruit upfront, to the incredibly long finish, this wine is beautiful through and through. It drinks amazingly now (with proper decanting/aeration) and is ideal for the cellar, as this wine will last for decades! Every Italian wine lover, scratch that, every red wine lover should have some of this in their cellar... no question.
So, if you're a fan of Brunello, the 2004 vintage is not to be missed! These wines will go down in history as some of the best BdM's ever made.