1995 Canalicchio Di Sopra Riserva Brunello Di Montalcino ($44 U.S. Wine Expo [many moons ago]; and alcohol level: 13.5%). We’ve been holding this for a long time for our Golden Anniversary. That was two nights ago, but we didn’t want to transport it 30 miles to the restaurant where we celebrated with our kids and grandkids. It was a seafood restaurant anyway and we enjoyed a nice California Riesling with our lobster.
Getting back to the Brunello, it was completely aged out and as smooth as the proverbial back end of a baby. Only slight bricking noticed. It had dried fine herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme), along with black tar and truffles on the nose and upfront. In the middle there were dried flowers, dried cherries, some meaty notes, the before mentioned smooth tannin, and perfect balance. Amazingly the finish was fresh and lively. We did run it through an unbleached two inch filter into a carafe.
We matched it tonight with roasted half boneless leg of lamb with garlic, and fresh rosemary and oregano minced together pressed into the fat with a little EVOO. For sides we had roasted Yukon gold potatoes and a salad with all but the onion coming from our garden. Yum!