Il Palazzone "Lorenzo & Isabelle" IGT 2005

This wine was produced specifically to honor the parents of winery owner Richard Parson's. "Dick" has been the owner of Il Palazzone since 2000. The back label of the bottle describes the wine, and his parents, very nicely.

"Lorenzo was powerful yet elegant; Isabelle was heart and soul. As a couple, they brought out the best in each other."

I can say, without hesitation, that the wine reflects exactly such complementary characteristics.You won't find this wine just anywhere, but it can be found, with just a little effort, and it's well worth it.

"

 Il Palazzone "Lorenzo and Isabelle" IGT, 2005. 
13.5% ABV
Cabernet Franc / Sangiovese / Petite Verdot from Montalcino $60
Deep and dark at first on the nose, with plenty of fragrant earth and beautiful, aromatic blackberry and black cherry. There is a clean and fine grained character to the nose, with subtle strength beneath. The first thing to strike me on the palate was a wonderful freshness in the black fruit, with subtle perfume, flinty earth, and kirsch. The balance is excellent, especially in the way the components blend together seamlessly. The finish shows moderate grip, with fine grained, mouth coating tannins. There is plenty of vigor, and I believe there is a whole other set of qualities yet to come out, given sufficient time. This is a wine of stature, depth, freshness, and finesse. Quite complete and drinking very well at this time. 93 Pts.

2005 Il Palazzone Brunello Di Montalcino

Here's a bit of advice; buy wine from very good producers in less-than-great vintages. Why? Because the reputation of the vintage either impacts the price (lower) or reduces demand (increasing availability). This is to the consumer's advantage, because the quality of a solid producer prevails despite the challenging vintage. Here is a case in point. Il Palazzone, along with a number of other top wineries in Montalcino, makes solid Brunello in just about any circumstance. 2005 was a vintage that saw rain at harvest time, and has been described as a less than stellar year. Yet, in tasting their '05, you probably wouldn't suspect there were any major difficulties; at least that was my impression. Is it 2004? No. But it is still thoroughly satisfying, and of excellent standing.

2005 Il Palazzone Brunello Di Montalcino, 13.5% ABV
The nose has notable perfume and floral notes hovering over spiced cherry fruit. There's a subtle core of richness to the fruit. The palate is medium weight with a wonderfully textured dark red cherry that coats the mouth with finessed flavor. Again, Asian spice enhances the fruit, along with good aromatic action. The structure is subtle, but quite sufficient. Later, the fruit tends more toward aromatic blackberry. The finish is long and satisfying, with sweet tobacco and easy tannins. The amplitude is low, but the quality is high. 91 Pts