This offers up earthy, mushroom and truffle aromas with beef stock, cocoa powder and dried dark berries. The palate has a beautifully fresh core of red and black-cherry flavors with fine, long and fresh tannins holding well. Drink across the next six-plus years.

La Rasina's 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is a dense full-bodied wine packed with ripe dark plums violets new leather and sweet fragrant spices. This is an opulent fruit-driven style of Brunello yet the wine possesses the gorgeous inner perfume vibrancy and clarity of a top-flight wine. The sweet long finish and soft tannins make this an excellent choice for drinking now and over the near-term. This is another outstanding effort from proprietor Marco Mantengoli. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016.