1990 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento

The 1990 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Al Vento is generous with sunbaked black cherry, plum, leather, and purple flowers. It is full-bodied, with harmonizing umami richness and notes of truffle, balsamic, and baked red plum. It is in a good place for drinking now, but it may be a little past its peak.

Black tea leaves, balsam herbs, mint and hints of animal musk lift up from the 1990 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento. There’s an inner sweetness here that soothes the palate, as a sour mix of tart cherry, herbs, citrus and nervous acids keeps the expression remarkably fresh. This tapers off smoky and opulent with nuances of tobacco and baker’s chocolate, along with something animal yet wonderful, in an expression that remains incredibly balanced. The tannins may be resolved, but I have no fear of decline. Bravo; the 1990 Riserva is a beauty.

The 1990 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento boasts plenty of density and richness. Early tertiary notes in the bouquet suggest the wine is entering its early maturity, but the Col d'Orcia wines are so age worthy, it is hard to know if the wine will plateau for a number of years, or keep moving along its aging curve. The 1990 is a dense, extroverted wine very much in the style of the year. I don't find the level of elegance of the very finest vintages. Hints of sage, rosemary, licorice and tobacco add complexity on the finish. The combination of the hot year and 63 months in cask have resulted in a fairly forward, evolved wine by Col d'Orcia standards. Vintage 1990 was also the most generous crop recorded at Poggio al Vento.