I had some old friends over on Wednesday for a tasting of several bottles of Brunello di Montalcino, a region that has lately been of great interest to this particular group. We sampled (2) 2001s, (2) 1997s and a 100% Sangiovese Super-Tuscan as a ringer – all tasted blind.
The 1997s stole the show. I’ve recently been tasting examples from this intriguing and controversial vintage. For such a well-established region, it seems there’s no consensus on the overall quality of the 1997s – while one reviewer heralds the vintage as one of the best ever, another declares it lackluster. When opinions are across the board, there’s only one way to find out.
The two 1997s we tried were the
Greppone Mazzi by Ruffino ($69) and the
Argiano ($75). Both were excellent, but rather different. The Greppone Mazzi was the overall favorite of the evening, since it was the most mature, complex and expressive. Dark red and black fruits as well as beautiful earthy mushroom and tobacco notes is what this wine’s all about. Full-bodied, balanced and long, it has the stuffing to last at least 5 more years. The Argiano was a close second by a hair. I think it’s a slightly better wine overall, but is not quite at its peak. It has great concentration, impeccable balance and is truly a complete wine with an enormously bright future. Because it’s still on the upswing of its evolution, it didn’t flaunt as much plumage as the Greppone Mazzi, but will out-class it in time. It’s funny. One reviewer scored the Argiano at 96 points, another at 87. I now know with whom my opinion aligns.
