All the elements of this Brunello work beautifully together. The bouquet is redolent of soft black fruit, plum cake, leather, spice and tobacco and the wine shows thick, velvety concentration in the mouth. The tannins are supple and firm and there's a touch of bright acidity that is not too sharp or in any way unbalanced.

What a pleasure it is to taste La Rasina’s 2008 Brunello di Montalcino after the somewhat disappointing 2007. One of the richer, more voluptuous wines of the vintage, the 2008 saturates the palate with expressive dark fruit, mocha, espresso, violets and cloves. As always, the style here is one that favors textural richness and depth, yet all the elements are in gorgeous balance. This generous, inviting Brunello is superb today and should continue to drink well for at least a handful of years. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. - AG