1997 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona - Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese - Italy - Tuscany - Brunello di Montalcino - Red

Here?s where the real controversy starts. You know when a host of the evening is blatantly bad-mouthing the juice as 'a bad Brunello masquerading as a Port, perhaps the worst wine ever poured at Executive Wine Seminars,? you are in for an experience! Well, I happened to disagree, as did the other host of the evening, Howard Kaplan. I found the wine to be quite compelling, bringing a lot of penetrating, focused aromas of cigar humidor, chili powder, sweet dark cherries and game to the table. I thought the palate was absolutely to die for, offering up a veritable showcase of anise, fresh truffles and plum sauce. The wine had spellbinding concentration, a velvet-laced texture and admirable length to create an irresistible sense of synergy.