Happy Cellar Saturday! It's the first Saturday of the new month, so it's time for me to raid the cellar and find something at least a decade in the making to enjoy. Tonight I've gone with the 2009 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino, a classic Sangiovese wine that has been dubbed the king of Italian wines, and one which I view as needing at least a decade of maturity before coming into its own. Normally Brunellos aren't even released for more than four years after harvest due to the regulations involved, so it's somewhat easier to let a nice Brunello age in the cellar, since it might only take five more years after purchase. So let's see what this wine has to offer!
The wine is a wonderful garnet color in the glass with great clarity and just a hint of amber along the edges. The nose presents aromas of blackberry, anise and leather, just as you might expect from a pure Sangiovese. The taste is a rush of tart cherry intermingled with some earthy notes of tar, basalt and tobacco, that eases into some floral notes of dried rose petals midpalate. The tannins are well structured, providing a nice base for the long, dry finish with a nice acidity at the end.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a really nice example of a Tuscan classic that is just coming into its own. This wine would pair well with a broad range of Italian dishes, from pasta and risotto, to a nice thick Tuscan T-bone, aka bistecca Fiorentina. Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Italian lasagna, as it's been chilly here today and having a wonderful, warm baked pasta seemed like the thing to do. Cheers!
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