Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Reserve 1970
This bottle had been reconditioned in Biondi Santi several years back. Hence the level is Top Shoulder Up, the label pristine, the cork good. The bottle decants for one full hour midnight. It is put on Slow Oxy on a 2-hour basis, recorks the next morning at 830 am and serves at 6 pm.
There is still some murkiness on serving though. Of bright garnet, it is intense for its age. The first nose is sulphuric and dusty. On the second, tones of hawthorn, damp wood, used leather, forest growth, tea. Also, hints of almond, liquorice, dried flower ash mingled with sweat mineral notes. Fragrances from high-quality handmade soap(lavender, parleys, sultanas), dry grass, suppressed stewed red fruit. Sweet notes on more aeration in the glass, with even more wood spice, earth and traces of black cherry. Quite a generous, changing nose.
On the palate, mixed dry red fruit and tea leaves seem dull. ABV is perceived low. There are specific complexities and finishes long with wood spice. Its linear acidity intensifies the bony structure. There is ample texture with melted tannins though. Excellent finesse la old style Biondi Santi and is substantially robust on the palate.
Highly rated by Franco Biondi-Santi himself, the Biondi Santi 1970 Reserve(No. 12025 for tonight), which had better interpreted and appreciated in its own right, remains unconvincing to most tasters of the evening. More a museum piece than an enjoyable drink, this bottle of Biondi Santi BdM Reserve 1970 nonetheless tames its pretty strong siblings Biondi Santi Annata 2007 BdM. Before this Biondi Santi 1970 Reserve, Col d'Orcia 2008 has become just a nice classic BdM and Altesino 2010 and Siro Pacenti 2010 Reserve both performing very well for the evening do not taste as smart.
