Incredibly perfumed and vibrant with dried berries, flowers and dried strawberries. Full body, a velvety texture and an intense and rich palate. So much richness and length.

Only made in the best years, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS is a phenomenal achievement. The wine was produced in 2006, 2007, 2010 and will also be released in 2012 and 2015. Fruit is sourced from across a five-hectare vineyard in the northern part of the appellation, but only 1,500 bottles are made using the very best fruit. This is an incredible wine that shows a promising evolution in the glass. The bouquet is fluid and graceful with a very precise and focused delivery. Dark fruit is contrasted against pressed rose, smoked spice and crushed graphite. The finish is silky and very long. Attractive tones of savory smoked meat appear at the very end.

Linear in profile, but also dense and focused, with black cherry, black currant, tobacco, licorice and leather flavors permeating the structure. Muscular tannins and leafy eucalyptus notes ride the finish hard, but this red shows balance overall. Best from 2018 through 2035. 166 cases made.

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS emerges from vines planted in the 1970s in Pelagrilli, one of the districts on the northern side of Montalcino. Deep yet translucent, the 2010 offers good intensity throughout. Dark cherry, plum, rose petal, spice, licorice and new French oak are some of the signatures. I find the oak too much, especially for this part of the Montalcino, but some readers may find more pleasure in this style.