2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pianrosso St Caterina Oro

The estate's 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d' Oro is rich and sensual in its layers of dark fruit. Ripe and perfumed , the wine reveals tons of persistence, great depth and fine, silky tannins with an expansive, multi-dimensional personality that emerges over time. Menthol, pine, spices and host of other balsamic nuances swirl around in the glass, adding further complexity to the dark fruit and rounding out the wine beautifully. Readers who are patient will be rewarded with a superb Brunello. This is a terrific effort from proprietor Paolo Bianchini. Ciacci's Pianrosso is an old-vines selection that spent 36 months in Slavonian oak.

The estate’s 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d’ Oro is rich and sensual in its layers of dark fruit. Ripe and perfumed , the wine reveals tons of persistence, great depth, fine, silky tannins and an expansive, multi-dimensional personality that emerges over time. Menthol, pine, spices and a host of other balsamic nuances swirl around in the glass, adding further complexity to the dark fruit and rounding out the wine beautifully. Readers who are patient will be rewarded with a superb Brunello. This is a terrific effort from proprietor Paolo Bianchini. Ciacci’s Pianrosso is an old-vines selection that spent 36 months in Slavonian oak. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Proprietor Paolo Bianchini has turned out a gorgeous set of wines. In 2005 Bianchini elected to forgo his top Brunello, Pianrosso, and bottle just his straight Brunello, which has all of the best fruit he was able to bring in that year. The result speaks for itself. I also tasted a number of Brunellos in cask from vintages 2006 through 2008 that appear quite promising. As good as the Brunellos are, value-conscious readers will want to pay special attention to Ciacci’s entry-level wines, which are just as noteworthy. Importer: Indigenous Selections, Fort Lauderdale FL; tel. (954) 530-4021

Evolved dark and mature-looking ruby. Nose not yet opening up, but hints of liqorice, oatmeal and candied cherry. Intensely sweet fruit attack with bitter, coating tannin. Long and big. (WS)