2008 Brunello di Montalcino

The estate’s 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione is impeccable from start to finish. Layered, expressive and beautiful, the 2008 impresses for its textural elegance and phenomenal overall balance. Tobacco, savory herbs, menthol and black cherries flesh out in this classy wine. A delicate, understated Brunello, the 2008 nevertheless boasts superb intensity and depth. The flavors are still quite primary, so readers will be better off cellaring the 2008 for at least a handful of years. I will not at all be surprised if the Salicutti 2008 emerges as one of the top wines of the year. These wines have a way of fleshing out beautifully in bottle with age. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028. I tasted some of the most thrilling wines of my February trip at Salicutti. Proprietor Francesco Leanza has done a marvelous job with these new releases. The wines I tasted in barrel were equally captivating. In particular, Leanza has the very best 2011 Brunello I have tasted from cask so far. Leanza crafts his Brunello from two vineyards, Piaggia and Teatro. The wines are vinified and aged separately, 2012 being an exception because of the low yields of the year. They are aged in a combination of medium and large casks, with a progression from smaller to larger that takes place over time. Leanza has a preference for French oak, which he uses for all of his casks, except the largest (40 hectoliters), which are Slavonian oak. In the past, I have at times been critical of the Salicutti wines for their small imperfections, but I did not pick up any of those notes in any of the wines I tasted. Lastly, readers should not miss the Rosso, which can be sublime. Importer: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404; Bertin Henri Selections; tel. (305) 343-4054

From two vineyards, Piaggione and Teatro, vinified separately. Aged for three years in oak, first in tonneaux, followed by large 10-hl oak casks and then 20-hl casks. The wine finishes its élevage in 30-hl casks of Slavonian, but there is no fixed rule regarding the time the wine spends in each type of oak. Unfiltered and not yet released. Deep ruby with narrow orange rim. Balsamic, lifted and multilayered. Marzipan and cherry. Real depth of sweet fruit pushed by acidity. Great tactile sensation of fresh acidity and firm tannins embedded in sweet fruit. Very long and complex on the finish. Very animating. (WS)