Two Easter Brunello

We were guests for Easter Dinner which featured an amazing array of Prime Rib, roasted potatoes, broccoli rabe and assorted cheeses.  I was tasked with providing the wine and had to up my game to meet the quality of the food. 

My memory is typically good regarding wines I've recently reviewed, so when I realized I tasted the first wine of today's article not that long ago it  surprised me a bit.  What also surprised me, was that I had pegged the wine a few points better this time around.

The 1995 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino is a deep, dark crimson red in the glass. I didn't decant the wine and although there was some significant sediment, it wasn't too bad. 

The nose of the wine is magnificent with crushed black cherry, roses, leather and spicy earth notes.  All these characteristics seem to mingle together in a bottle sweet bouquet. On the palate the wine is regal, elegant and powerful. There's a huge core of sweet cherry and berry fruit, with dried herbs, tobacco, and earthen notes. Completely and perfectly balanced.  The tannins are sweet, silky and resolved yet the wine retains plenty of acidity to keep the wine lively and fresh. So delicious.  95 points.  About $40 upon release. A wow wine for sure.

An absolutely amazing Brunello

The previous wine was so good, it went very, very fast.  Fortunately, I had brought an extra bottle of vino...just in case!  After the Banfi showed so well, I was a little concerned the next wine would appear dull, but boy was I wrong.

The 2007 Mastrojanni Brunello Vigna Loreto  is simply one of the best wines I've tasted in the last 12 months.  The color almost belies the intensity of the wine - it's a pretty, dark red with violet hues and reflections.  The nose is spellbinding.  There's wild berries, mint, new leather, roses, lavendar, mushrooms and minerals.  In the mouth, the wine is a mass of perfumed, floral, spicy, full bodied ripe wild berry fruit.  Tons going on here.  Complex, seamless, with precision to the flavors and a long, perfumed spicy fruity finish. There were two "wows" and a "that's really good" when we all took our first tastes. Stunning Brunello.  98 points.  SRP is about $60.  Disclosure: This bottle was an Importer provided sample.

Vigna Loreto in Glass at Left:  Bottliglia at Right - Stunning Wine!

Allora.........