2003 Brunello di Montalcino

Bright, deep ruby to the rim; unusually dark for Brunello. Sexy, rather syrah-like aromas of black fruits and tar. Then fat, broad and a bit ponderous, in a rather international style but not at all overly sweet. I would never pick this blind as Brunello and I'd probably guess California syrah or Toro before I'd say Italy. Plenty large and powerful but where's the fresh fruit? Finishes with big but rather soft, dusty tannins.

Valdicava's 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is a big, brooding effort loaded with black cherries, smoke, tar and earthiness. This expressive, powerful wine needs at least another year or two to settle down. While not as extreme as the 2001, it stands apart for its intensity of color and the sheer volume of its extract. In 2003 the Brunello spent three and a half years in 45- and 50-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks. Abruzzese says the spring rains in the northern part of Montalcino left the wines with enough water reserves to mature without going into hydric stress.

Valdicava’s 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is a big, brooding effort loaded with black cherries, smoke, tar and earthiness. This expressive, powerful wine needs at least another year or two to settle down. While not as extreme as the 2001, it stands apart for its intensity of color and the sheer volume of its extract. In 2003 the Brunello spent three and a half years in 45 and 50-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks. Abruzzese says the spring rains in the northern part of Montalcino left the wines with enough water reserves to mature without going into hydric stress. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. Once again proprietor Vincenzo Abruzzese has made one of the most concentrated Brunellos of the vintage. Still, the wines aren’t quite as extreme as in the past, when the Brunello was sometimes virtually black, as was the case with the 2001. According to oenologist Attilio Pagli, the saignees that were once common are largely a thing of the past, and today are used only sporadically in weaker vintages such as 2005. Yields are still a minuscule 20-25 hectoliters per hectare. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907