Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 1999
Castello Banfi
A tremendously deep and intense color which is quite unheard of for a Sangiovese. A full bouquet of red fruits, plums, cherries and ripe blackberries is well balanced with hints of vanilla from the tannins. The wine opens on the palate with pleasant notes of licorice, tobacco and black olives. The tannins are thick and silky, extremely rich but not overpowering. The wine is full bodied and well structured, with excellent fruit concentration and length. A great wine that should only improve with age.
Wine Spectator
This shows an incredible concentration of fruit, with loads of berries and spices on the nose. Full-bodied, with soft and silky tannins and lots of smoky character and a long finish. Best after 2005. 55,000 cases made.
Score: 94.
—James Suckling,
May
15,
2004.
Wine Enthusiast
Rich, dark and muscular, with deep, jammy aromas of plum and blackberry. Banfi toes the line between modern and traditional, and this wine fits their model perfectly. It's a ripe, sizable mouthful, yet it has some true-life edges to it. Drink now through 2009.
Score: 91.
—Michael Schachner,
June
01,
2004.
All sizes are 750mL unless otherwise noted.
Vintages and ratings subject to change at any time.
All pricing and availability subject to change.
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Since 1997, the 100% subscriber-supported IWC has also been available in French and Japanese editions.
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Wine and Spirits is America's practical guide to the straightforward, enlightened enjoyment of fine wine and and premium spirits. We have for 18 years served customers and marketers alike with a lively mix of wine reviews, features, profiles, food and wine pairings, new product introductions, travel pieces, history, opinion and wine business news.
Burghound
Burghound.com was the first of its kind to offer specialized, and more importantly, exhaustive coverage of a specific wine region. The first Issue was released in January of 2001 and there are now subscribers in more than 50 countries and nearly all 50 states. Allen Meadows spends over four months a year in Burgundy and visits more than 300 domaines during that time.
James Halliday
James is one of the world’s leading authorities on Australian wine, matching intelligent, honest reviews with unparalleled knowledge of, and passion for, the wine industry.
Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine
For thirty-five years, Connoisseurs’ Guide has been the authoritative voice of the California wine consumer. With readers in all fifty states and twenty foreign countries, the Guide is valued by wine lovers everywhere for its honesty and for it strong adherence to the principles of transparency, unbiased, hard-hitting opinions.
James Suckling
I rate wines using the 100-points scale. I have used this point system for close to 25 years. I still believe it is the simplest way to rate a wine, with its origins from grade school in the United States. A wine that I rate 90 points or more is outstanding (A), and worth buying. If I rate a wine 95 points or more (A+), it is a must buy.
View from the Cellar
View From the Cellar, an electronic wine newsletter published bi-monthly by John Gilman.
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Homepage for wine writer, Neal Martin's, "Diary of a Wine Writer".
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Malt Advocate magazine is America's leading whisky magazine. It's the number one source for whisky information, education and entertainment for whisky enthusiasts.
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Dedicated to the wines and grapes of the Rhone Valley
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Wine Review Online was originally conceived by Publisher Robert Whitley as an all-encompassing platform for the many talented wine journalists he came across in his travels as wine columnist for the Creators Syndicate.
