Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 1990
Half bottle thanks to Ned, with dinner tonight. I got to choose from his cellar, and since the last time my parents opened this to compare it to the Riserva, it was cork-tainted, I was curious. Glossy, deep garnet-ruby-black, orange at the rim. Thick, sweet and ripe black cherry, dried blood orange, slightly tough but tasty tannin and orangey acidity. Fairly oaky but also still fruity enough. Good body, warming, a little glycerine, fairly long. Cannot say I like the Riserva better, but note the difference is smaller than one might think: the normale is a tiny bit more deeply coloured, dried-fruitier, with the tannin wearing more of a new oak stamp. Given this sample was from a less coolly stored half bottle, it is tempting to assume the Riserva is evolving more instead of less quickly in bottle. Ned surprised me noting he has begun to prefer young wine over mature one – I have always found mature wine easier to enjoy, especially in quantity. Rating: 91
Greetings from Switzerland, David.