Azienda Agricola due Portine (Gorelli) Brunello di Montalcino

Past its prime, but still some life left. Air was helpful.

1997 vintage

This is a very pretty, mature Brunello. Sweet cherry, pine, balsa, a bit of balsamic showing this bottle a bit over the hill and starting to decline. Nonetheless, it has a classic Brunello profile, light, dry, fragrant, with fresh acidity. Highly enjoyable even if a bit past prime. Don't wait. It's time.

1997 vintage

Lovely, aged Brunello. I don’t buy Brunello often these days, but those I picked up in the late 90s are doing very well now.

1997 vintage

Just past its apogee, and still full of ripe red fruits, leather, and dust. A lovely sense of place emerges by the second glass, and the tannins, though nicely resolved, still offer lively framing. For my palate, it's so darn good right now, though it shows structure for another 5-7 years in the cellar if you're after pure tertiary. The 14,0% abv. is fully resolved. 3oz left in the bottle (uncorked) the next day were all about a sense of …

1997 vintage

Three out of Five Ain't Bad (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN) : Medium dark red plus color with a 6mm transitional bricked margin. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Age has served this honey well. This was really charming with a beguiling nose filled with red candied fruits, lacquer, licorice, and dried spices. The palate is medium plus bodied, red cherries, candied, leather, black licorice, lacquer, fine tannins and good length. Drink now, but there's some time.

1997 vintage

Beautifully matured Brunello. Lean but rounded, elegant and persistent. At an excellent stage and ready to be consumed. Great accompaniment to our table and our meal. Had it at From Scratch.

1997 vintage

Decanted for 1.5 hours. Wonderful wine. Still bright and vigorous with great harmony of all its components. Bright acidity and red fruit. Complex and beautifully integrated tannins. Delicate wine but not a pushover.

1997 vintage

Comparing a 1997 to a 2010 Brunello. (Perbacco) : Can't get enough of the complex, autumnal, distinctive bouquet. Strawberry pomegranate. A bowl of dried cherries. And the flavors are impossible to pin down; constantly shifting. Bright red fruits with a long, deeply-humming bass tail. This is wide awake, cradling you tenderly. It's no head-turner compared to the 2010 Il Poggione; instead it's contemplative and comforting like an old soul.

1997 vintage

Lovely Brunello. In a perfect drinking spot now. One of my favorites from the 1997 vintage.

1997 vintage

Chicago Italian Lovers round 9- 99 Brunellos for the first anniversary of the group (Vinci, Chicago) : Nose: Wide open, balanced, and perfumed with dark red cherries, perfumes, earth notes, black tea, red florals, and roasted herbs.There is an excellent layering to the tones with a savory quality as well. Taste: Beautiful and polished medium body with m+ acid and silky tannins. The structure, while still there, isn't too overbearing with silky tones of dark red cherries, black tea, earth, …

1997 vintage

Brunello di Montalcino Masterclass Led by Monica Larner (Taberna wine academy) : Blind wine 2: Still tight on the nose and big contrast to wine #1, spicy tones, dark plum, dark fruited with cedar oak. Palate is fresher, structured, dark cherries, plums, earth, and hints of leather. Sweet grippy tannins with good finishing. Holding up very well but a bit simple. (91+) My wine #6, group's #5

1997 vintage

Purchased on release. Somewhat reduced with a balsamic character at first. However the longer it aired, the more depth and body it gained. The final sips some 5 hours in were in fact the best by far. Seemingly fairly mature, but it evolved so well in glass and decanter that I am tempted to wait a few years on my final bottle.

1997 vintage

A big surprise - this wine has settled down immensely and is now a delicious drink. Plenty of life ahead, but it's now time to enjoy it.

1997 vintage

Drinking beautifully right now. Purchased on release. Perfect condition. Barely showing its age, no hint of green or under ripe fruit, wonderful tannins, long finish.

1997 vintage

Excellent Mature Brunello. It needed some air to open up , at first it appeared to be on the decline, but after about 30 minutes of air, the wine and its bouquet opened up. Mature and should be consumed within the next year or two at most in my opinion. Will not get any better, not sure how long it will hold, but why wait for it to decline. Consume now, enjoy and smile knowing you didn't let this bottle …

1997 vintage

Brunellos 15+ years and older (Moderno, Highland Park IL) : nose: open nose with a bit of a sexy lushness to it and tones of dark red fruits, dark red cherries, some black fruits, berries, lots of various floral tones and a hint of licorice. Very good complexity with real nice depth too. taste: silky medium body with noticeable medium/high acidity and some very good tannins. Well balanced with good layered tones of dark red fruits, red cherries, floral tones …

1997 vintage

Very nice, still life left here, last sip best

1997 vintage

Mature, very tasty, fills in a bit w/air

1997 vintage

a great bottle from a great vintage. Paired well with Veal Saltimboca. Mature, ready to go, can still last, but why bother waiting, I don't think it will improve much above where it is at the moment. Drink Up !

1997 vintage

Perfect, classic Sangiovese nose. As expected much better with food. A great example of an epic vintage for Brunello.

1997 vintage

Darn it. Forty-five bucks in Montalcino plus all the time in the cellar just to find that the thing is corked. When are we humans going to quit being so stupid and move to screwtops for every wine?

1997 vintage

This wine has evolved nicely since I tried it last year, and is still drinking very well. Black cherry fruit, with some chocolate and mocha. Nicely integrated oak and acid; the tannins taste pretty well resolved. A good match with food.

1997 vintage

Very soft & approachablee, just enough structure, very nice showing signs of maturity

1997 vintage

Tokyo Tasting Group Round #2 -- 90/97 Sangiovese, plus Champagne and Dessert (Cuisine 219 Tokyo) : What’s going on here? A tasting of ’97 Tuscans and I haven’t written “roasted” or “overmature” once and have only used “ripe” a few times! Here we go. Nose shows very ripe and very dark sweet fruit with some coffee hints. Palate still has some slightly scratchy tannin, but speaks mostly of dark, dark sweet cherry and partially dried plums. Very open and drinking …

1997 vintage

An excellent 1997 Brunello that is drinking very well now. Not decanted. Maroon, showing moderate amber at the rim; light sediment. Multi-layered, concentrated palate of blueberry and black cherry fruit, spice box, mocha, and smoke. The Parker review from 3 years ago says this wine is "viscous, huge, and oozing with concentration," but I found it to be more classically styled, and not at all thick or fruit-forward. Slightly dry, medium-bodied, with finely integrated tannins on the finish. Drink now-2010.

1997 vintage

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Azienda Agricola due Portine (Gorelli) Brunello di Montalcino

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