Complex aromas of rose blackberry blueberry and dark chocolate. Full-bodied with wonderfully velvety tannins and focused juicy rich fruit. Long and intense. The finish shows berry tobacco toasty oak berry and chocolate. Goes on and on. One of the wines of the vintage. Best after 2011. 1890 cases made. -JS

Aromas of beef stock and hung meat with dried tomato, balsamic, earth and an overall, very savory attitude. Some dried plums here, too. This is very complex. The palate has a succulent and fresh core of black cherries and plums, framed in layers of savory earth and meat flavors. The tannins unfurl majestically into the finish. Drink this now and for a decade, without question.

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is simply gorgeous in the way all of its elements come together. It's hard to know where to start with this wine. Smoke scorched earth black cherries and wild herbs are all melded seamlessly in a Brunello loaded with flavor personality and sheer character. The wine possesses formidable concentration and phenomenal length with lingering notes of sweetness that round out the close. Uccelliera's Brunello was impressive from cask and it is just as impressive now that it is in bottle. Readers who have the opportunity to taste the wine at this young stage should not hesitate although a few years are needed before it blossoms fully. Simply put this is the finest wine I have tasted from Andrea Cortonesi. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024.