Brunello advice

I've tasted maybe a dozen, and think it is a very good vintage (if not neccessarily the "best vintage ever"). But hype has driven up prices. I've cherry-picked a few I thought offered good value: La Fornace ($20) La Gerla ($30) Sesti ($40) Lisini ($28) Altesino ($40) There are BIG (more than usual) price spreads out there across country (you're in US, right?). When I got the Lisini the next lowest price I saw was $42. If you are interested in a particular wine, and don't subscribe to winesearcher pro, I'd be happy to check for you.

I am in the States, in Los Angeles. Below are some examples of some wines available to me. I really don't want to pay over 40 bucks a bottle (unless perhaps a couple exceptional wines), but want some to keep for a while. There's a few other stores that aren't on the web that I've not visited, so maybe I'm not out of luck. I don't know if the one's your're buying are tanic enough to cellar for 10+ years, but I like your price point.

I don't have wine searcher pro. If you don't mind checking what else is available here in town I'd be appreciative.

wine exchange MASTROJANNI BRUNELLO 1999 $38.99 SASSETTI PERTIMALI BRUNELLO 1999 $44.99 COLLOSORBO BRUNELLO 1999 $47.99 LE MACIOCHE BRUNELLO 1999 $47.99 UCCELLIERA BRUNELLO 1999 $52.99 CANALICCHIO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 1999 DI RIPACCIOLI $54.99 CASANUOVA CERBAIE BRUNELLO 1999 $54.99 TORNESI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 1999 $59.99 VALDICAVA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 1999 $89.99 SALVIONI BRUNELLO CERBAIOLA 1999 $99.99

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1999 Canalicchio di Sopra Riserva (WS90) $69.99 1999 Castello Banfi Poggio all'Oro Riserva (WS96 ) $99.99 1999 Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Riserva (WS97 ) $86.99 1999 Friggiali Riserva $63.99 1999 Ciacci Picolomini Riserva (WS94) $89.99 1999 Fuligni Riserva (WS95) $99.99 1999 Lisini "Ugolaia" $99.99 1999 Poggio Antico Riserva (WS95 ) $72.99 1999 Castello Romitorio Riserva (WS91 ) $75.99 1999 Pertimali Sassetti Riserva (WS91) $95.99 1999 La Poderina Poggio Banale (WS93) $79.99 1999 Tenuta Carolina La Togata Riserva (WS93) $93.99 1999 Tornesi Riserva (WS93) $56.99 1999 Ucceliera Riserva $79.99 1999 Valdicava Riserva "Madonna del Piano"(WS96) $123.99 1999 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $69.99 futures 1999 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio all'Oro Riserva $99.99 1999 Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $86.99 1999 Friggiali Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $63.99 1999 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $89.99 1999 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $99.99 1999 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $99.99 1999 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $89.99 1999 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $75.99 1999 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $95.99 1999 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino $59.99 1999 Tenuta Carolina Brunello di Montalcino Riserva La Togata $93.99 1999 Tornesi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $56.99 1999 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $79.99 1999 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano $123.99

The Ucceleria is supposed to be very nice, but $53 is pushing it (it's $40 at Premier Cru if you don't mind shipping). The Pertimali is supposed to be nice, too.

1. Spring for the or so, and get wine-searcher pro.
2. The expert attitude on a given Brunello vintage changes radically from year to year, and does not settle down until about 10 years out.
3. I find variation from one producer to another in a given vintage to be very great, as opposed to many other Italian wines(Barolo, Amarone) that seem to be similar in a give vintage.
4. Due to the considerable style variation of Burnello, there is great variation within a single vintage.
5. Tuscany vintage charts are not particularly applicable to Montalcino(97 was not thought to be too good. and 98 is considered by many to be better). I have had some 92-96's chosen by the owners of restaurants in Montalcino that were very nice, and those are not great years in Tuscany.
6. When the experts took back their VOC(vintage of century) rating of

97, and bestowed it on 98, the bottom dropped out of the prices of the97's, many of which are wonderful.

1. The expert for these w>I'm just wondering what the experts think. Is '99 exceptional? And if

Just checked a few. Wine Club (santa Ana- Orange County, right?) shows Nardi at $39-supposed to be good. And Sesta (not Sesti) at $30- know nothing of this one.

Gerald, I agree with most of what you said. Just curious about last point- who has Gambero Rosso ranked highly- haven't seen listing in recent vintages. I did attend a Tre Biccheri (sp?) tasting a couple years ago. GR's taste at time seemed to run heavily towards ultra-ripe modern Brunelli. I know they've moved to include some more traditional producers in the Piedmont- have they done the same in BdM? Disclaimer- I can like both styles- see reference to Altesino and Sesti above.

http://www.tigulliov>Gerald, I agree with most of what you said. Just curious about last