Antinori Pian Delle Vigne Brunello Di Montalcino 1998

Magnificant! Deep ruby red; complex on the nose. Full-structured and velvety, with rich perfumes and hints of flowers, vanilla and chocolate. Well structured and balance with a lengthy finish.

The end of Winter and the beginning of Spring were mild and very dry, which favoured early budding of the vines and accelerated the vegetative cycle - until the stabilising effect of some rainfall in May. Flowering took place in the same average period as other vintages. June was very hot and this accelerated the growth of the grapes and of the vegetative cycle by about 10-12 days. The Summer months were very hot and sunny with temperatures well above average - particularly in July with long periods without any rainfall. This meant that the growth rate of the vines slowed down slightly and, on average, the grapes ripened about a week earlier than in average vintages. In all the estates a careful thinning of the red variety grapes was carried out during the month of August, in order to ensure that the remaining grapes would ripen in the best conditions.