Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2009

Good bright medium red. Rich aromas of raspberry, red cherry, licorice, sweet pipe tobacco and violet. Rich, layered and sweet, boasting superb definition and depth to its fleshy but vibrant red berry, sweet spice and licorice flavors. This big, broad, perfumed wine finishes with excellent clarity and floral lift. Another standout Brunello from this producer and easily one of the year's best. I'd enjoy it within the next ten years, but I suspect it has the structure to age for longer than that.

The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino delivers a surprising high level of sophistication and complexity for the vintage with intermingled aromas of dried cherry, savory spice, cured meat, dusty earth and pressed blue flowers. At its essence, this wine represents a quintessential Sangiovese. The mouthfeel is somewhat contradictory, in a positive way, with sweet fruit flavors pitted elegantly against finely textured tannins. Drink: 2017-2026.