2003 Brunello di Montalcino Altero
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Tasting notes
Dark, bright red-ruby. Very different on the nose than the regular release, revealing an almost liqueur-like ripeness to its cherry fruit. Ripe, broad and sweet, with a more open-knit texture and considerably more volume than the normale There's plenty of vanillin oak here but has the breadth and sweetness of material to support it. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and lingering sweetness. Not especially gripping, but there's no shortage of concentration here.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Altero offers attractive density as flowers, spices, ripe red fruit, chocolate and sweet toasted oak flow from the glass. The wine possesses outstanding nuance and complexity. In this vintage the use of smaller French oak barrels is somewhat penalizing as it accentuates the hard, unripe tannins that are already present in the fruit. As is often the case, the Altero presents a more immediate, rounder style than the regular bottling, but it also develops faster once opened.
The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Altero offers attractive density as flowers, spices, ripe red fruit, chocolate and sweet toasted oak flow from the glass. The wine possesses outstanding nuance and complexity. In this vintage the use of smaller French oak barrels is somewhat penalizing as it accentuates the hard, unripe tannins that are already present in the fruit. As is often the case, the Altero presents a more immediate, rounder style than the regular bottling, but it also develops faster once opened. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900