What a nose of dried meat, tar, tobacco, dried boysenberries, red licorice and baking spices. Hearty tannins surround the full-bodied palate from every side, wringing bursting acidity from a full-throttle core of ripe, chewy fruit. The power and intensity are undeniable, but as you seep in the rich dried spices and died meat on the finish, you catch a glimpse of crystalline acidity through the looking glass. Drink from 2025.

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vallocchio shows depth and a more sophisticated approach with ample textural richness and more evident spice and smoke from its oak aging. However, the style fundamentally embraces the same lithe and lifted elegance that we saw in Fanti's classic Brunello. The color saturation of the Vallocchio is a degree or two darker, and the bouquet reveals dark cherry, tilled earth, cola and smoked cedar wood. Give the wine a few more years in your cellar to flesh out. - Monica Larner

A broad, powerful version, featuring black cherry, plum, tar, iron and underbrush flavors that mingle with the thick, pointed tannins. Ripe fruit occupies the center, offsetting the muscular structure, while the finish lingers, picking up a salty element. Best from 2023 through 2038. – BS