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1997 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio all'Oro Riserva, 1.5ltr

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

January 9, 2022 - $190

Estimate

RATINGS

96Wine Spectator

Blockbuster. Incredibly intense black cherry aromas, with hints of mint and red licorice. It soon turns to flowers. Full-bodied, and full-throttled, with masses of tannins and concentrated fruit. Very extracted.

93Wine Enthusiast

...Flavors of plum, cherry and currant are pure, and there’s far more fruit here than wood. But the tannins are like nails and they get harder and harder with each sip...

91Stephen Tanzer

...Cherry liqueur, coffee and exotic woodsmoke on the superripe nose. Big and chewy on the palate; a broad, oaky wine with a strong impression of extract and plenty of personality. Flavors of crystallized red berries, coffee and mocha...

REGION

Italy, Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino is entirely Sangiovese. Montalcino itself is a picturesque, hill-top town not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.