Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: 97 points

Very dark garnet with saturated purple hues. Penetrating aromas of underbrush, sweet tobacco and wild mushroom. Quite juicy, but also sumptuous and deep, with rich flavors of mocha, espresso and anise over a firm mineral backbone. There is no evidence of excess weight in spite of the wine generous structure. The long close features glossy tannins and a flavor of cassis. At once powerful and elegant. Among the largest producers in Montalcino, Castello Banfi is arguably the one making the best Brunellos today, with a remarkable string of successes since 1990.

Review date: July 2002