Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino Altero 1999

"A fresh red with plenty of dried cherry and blackberry character and hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, with loads of silky tannins and a wonderfully long finish of fruit and tannins. A beautiful wine. Best after 2005."
-Wine Spectator

Altero was created back in 1983 with the intention of making a more modern style of Brunello. Altero is a proprietary wine that is distinguished by being aged in 500-liter French oak tonneaux for a period of two years rather than for three years in the large new Slavonian oak barrels used for the traditional Brunello. Altero completes its aging requirement by spending two years in the bottle before release.

In 2000, sixteen years after the first release of Altero, the new regulations for Brunello confirmed the validity of this innovative alternative. In effect the formula for Altero anticipated the new trend for Brunello, and at Poggio Antico today it is possible to choose between a new and a classic style of Brunello.

Since its introduction Altero has received very favorable reviews and enjoyed great commercial success, so every year an increasing part of the crop is set aside for it.

Altero is a deep and intense ruby red, which shows great concentration. The bouquet is wide, very fruity, persistent and elegant. The taste is full, warm, and round with a complex structure and fine ripe tannins. This wine is very smooth on the palate and suited for a long bottle aging.