Red Carpet Wine - 2004 Brunello Di Montalcino

RED CARPET WINE Since 1964 400 East Glenoaks Boulevard
wine & spirits merchants (800) 339-0609 Glendale, California 91207

Home Wine Shop Beers Spirits Gifts Beverage Catering Cigars Staff Picks Wine Bar/Events Map About RC

2004 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO

This just in…the 2004 vintage Brunello di Montalcino's are being released and they are spectacular! A 5-star vintage! 2004 Brunello will go down as one of the finest vintages of our time. Robert Parker has rated 2004 vintage 96pts, the highest rating of any modern Tuscan vintage, including 1997 and 1999!

2004 was a very easy vintage for farmers in Montalcino, it took place under very little stress, maturation occurred over a very long time with harvests occurring at what are now considered traditional dates or even late dates. Tannins are at an elevated level, but incredibly fine. Fruit is rich and dense and alcohol is balanced. The only small challenge for quality producers were yields, the hot 2003 vintage forced vines to hold back some of their energies, the subsequent 2004 vintage allowed vines to flourish, forcing multiple green harvests to keep production in quality zones. There’s a lot of early drinking pleasure in these wines, but they are built to age for decades.

2004 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino $109.44

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino, tasted from tank, could not be more different than the 2003 in its personality and sheer class. This vibrant, aromatic Brunello possesses terrific length in its perfumed fruit with ripe, sweet tannins that are beautifully woven into its frame. The 2004 Brunello shows tons of detail and clarity in a compelling and utterly irresistible style. (91-94) WA

Valdicava makes some of the most intense, richly flavored Brunello's coming out of Montalcino today. The estate traces its history back several generations. This may be the best producer of Brunello today. The last few vintages from this estate have been some of the most memorable wines I've tasted.

Valdicava is the actual name of the valley in which the greatest single-vineyard wines of Brunello are produced. In the middle of this valley sits the grand Madonna del Piano vineyard along with the Valdicava estate. Madonna del Piano was the first single vineyard Brunello ever produced. This is the wine of the vintage.

2004 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino $74.90

Dominic Nocerino has been representing this quality producer since 1979. Traditional and complex with incredible aging potential, Canalicchio di Sopra is coming into focus as one of the great producers of Brunello.

This sensationally concentrated, huge, full-bodied wine possesses enough tannin to make it nearly impenetrable. The color is an opaque garnet/ruby, and the nose offers up significant evidence of superb ripeness and intensity. Extremely full-bodied and tannic, with massive fruit extraction, this spicy, yet tightly wound Brunello has awesome potential.

2003 Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino $55.58

Castello Romitorio’s Brunello of Montalcino stands as the cornerstone of our
production. Made from only the “Brunello” strain of the Sangiovese Grosso grape, this wine is one of the most treasured of all Italian reds. A careful selection of the harvest’s bounty, strict adherence to technique, and constant checks during the aging process transform the Sangiovese uvaggio into one of Italy’s most revered wines. Ruby red in color, this Brunello di Montalcino possesses a fruity and spicy bouquet. Its velvety texture harmonizes the rich and balanced tannins completed by two years in oak, blending the wine’s qualities into a character that is at once forceful and elegant.

The respected provenance of a Brunello di Montalcino is perhaps best seen in the name of grape from which it is created: Sangiovese, from “Sangius Jovis”—the blood of Jupiter. The Sangiovese grape serves as the foundation of much of Italy’s ancient tradition in wines. Among all the strains of Sangiovese, however, the Brunello is widely regarded as the most dignified, and a Brunello di Montalcino must contain nothing other than this exquisite grape. Furthermore, it must be aged for no less than two years in oak, followed by at least four months in the bottle. Castello Romitorio’s Brunello of Montalcino usually ages for 36 months in oak but because of the complex vintage it aged only 24 months in oak and eight months
in the bottle. The rewards of the Brunello regulations’ strict requirements are readily apparent in the glass. Castello Romitorio takes pride in its part in this great tradition.


	Home Wine Shop Beers Spirits Gifts Beverage Catering Cigars Staff Picks Wine Bar/Events About RC