Tasting Notes
Vinous 96
The 1975 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is dark, powerful and intense, with gorgeous depth and fabulous resonance. Dusty black cherries, smoke, spices, tobacco, game and earthiness flesh out in a broad, ample Brunello endowed with magnificent depth, power and intensity. Bright veins of acidity give the finish an extra kick of salinity, but overall this is a dark, brooding Brunello that shows the masculine side of Sangiovese. The textural impression is of unctuous and reminiscent of a demi-glace. The 1975 keeps getting better and better with time in the glass. There is no rush to drink the 1975. Well-stored or reconditioned bottles will drink well for another 10-15 years. This bottle was reconditioned on September 5, 2000.
Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030
Robert Parker 94
Tancredi Biondi Santi passed away in 1970, so the 1975 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva would have been one of the first riservas made entirely by his son, Franco Biondi Santi. Showing its age and maturity, the wine presents delicate aromas of balsam herb, coffee, caramel, licorice and candied orange peel. The primary fruit has faded, and the wine has shifted gears, exhibiting smoky and ethereal perfumes instead. In the mouth, this wine shows more volume and fiber than I might have expected, and there is even a subtle touch of roundness and volume on the finish. This is a beautiful snapshot of a bygone era in Tuscan wine.
Anticipated maturity: 2019-2030
