2003 Brunello di Montalcino Pian delle Vigne

Antinori's 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Pian delle Vigne is a sleek, racy wine loaded with sweet dark fruit intermingled with delicate notes of tobacco and sweet toasted oak that flow from its soft-textured frame. The wine shows notable balance in this vintage, with well-integrated tannins and plenty of harmony. Ideally it might offer greater persistence and more varietal character, but this is still a very strong effort. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015. Apr 2008, www.robertparker.com

Antonio Galloni, Vinous    Score: 91/100