Displays complex aromas of blackberry and cherry with a hint of licorice. Full-bodied with silky tannins and a delicious finish of wonderful yet subtle fruit. Well-integrated and beautiful. Everything is in the right place. Best after 2011. 5000 cases made. -JS

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is simply beautiful. Now that the wine is in bottle it is even better than when I tasted it from barrel. Firm but silky tannins frame a core of ripe dark fruit as this powerful yet elegant Brunello opens up in the glass. Smoke cured meats earthiness and graphite develop in the glass adding further complexity. Sweet roses and spices linger on the long refined finish. This is a big structured Brunello and like all of Abbruzzese's wines it needs at least a few years of bottle age before it offers its finest drinking. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Valdicava has been somewhat of a controversial property over the last few years. The Brunellos are typically very concentrated and dense when young which can make them hard to assess. Make no mistake about it though; these are very serious wines whose only difficulty lies in giving them a few more years in bottle than the vast majority of Brunellos. A vertical tasting last year going back to 1988 published on www.erobertparker.com showed that the Valdicava Brunellos age exquisitely. -Antonio Galloni

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino unwinds in the glass, revealing aromas of dusty library book, steeped plums and cherries, all lifted by hints of mint. It has shed its youthful intensity, coming across as lifted and soft-contoured as it hovers across the palate. Still tannic yet pleasantly chewy, the 2004 finishes with grace, leaving an air of licorice to fade. Give this some air before indulging—the bouquet finds a lovely focus over time. -- Eric Guido

Still a dark red core with very little variation towards the rim. This 04 opens with rich turned earth, sweet spice notes and flowers, followed closely by sweet red and black fruit. The palate is full bodied and has a good level of richness and silky tannins. There is great levels of concentration and great complexity that comes with age. This is a big, structured Brunello that at 12 years of age, is not quite at its peak. This is delicious now, but will continue to improve over the next few years. Enjoy this through 2030.