BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast

It’s tannic, firm and ready for a long aging future ahead.
Chambers & Chambers. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $NA
92
La Fornace 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). This Brunello opens with floral
notes of pressed red rose and clay soil. Bright fruit,
blackberry, leather and tobacco aromas are framed by
firm tannins. Vignaioli. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $130
92
Marchesato degli Aleramici 2006 Riserva
(Brunello di Montalcino). There’s an exotic,
spicy element here that gives this riserva a unique and
compelling quality. Coffee, espresso and bitter chocolate
also identify it. The mouthfeel is dry and tight,
suggesting long aging potential. More than fruit, this
wine shows tertiary aromas and crushed mineral in the
mouth. Fedway Imports. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $75
92
Podere Paganico 2006 Riserva (Brunello
di Montalcino). Notes of root beer, dried sage,
wild berry and bramble with menthol overtones define
this wine. There are subtle wood tones of spice, clove
and black pepper, and the finish is crisp and streamlined
with a touch of cherry sweetness. Saranty Imports.
—M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $50
92
Talenti 2006 Pian di Conte Riserva
(Brunello di Montalcino). This wine offers
some cola, sage and fresh menthol notes. It’s an elegant
package with aromatic intensity, balanced acidity
and firm, tight structure. The wine is lean, compact and
tight and needs another 5–10 years to come into focus.
Robert Chadderdon Selections. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $NA
92
Tassi 2006 Franci Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). This unique expression of Sangiovese
Grosso is influenced by oak tones to produce
aromas of Spanish cedar and sandalwood, giving the
bouquet a rich personality. Bold fruit tones of cherry
and blackberry also come into focus, and the wine is surprisingly
firm in the mouth. Wine Emporium. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $NA
92
Tenuta di Sesta 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). This elegant Brunello opens to a
lean, streamlined style. The garnet color is true to the
Sangiovese variety and so are the wine’s aromas of forest
berry, earth and pressed flower. You’ll like the bright,
soft close, with its tiny touch of fruity sweetness. Monsieur
Touton Selection Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $140
92
Tenute Niccolai 2006 Podere Bellarina
Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino). Huge,
dark concentration makes this wine almost too much of
a good thing. It offers inky density, with cured meat,
spice, dark fruit, prune, blackberry and blackberry pie.
Its bold astringency needs more time to soften. Angelini
Wine. —M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $90
92
Tornesi 2006 Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino).
This Brunello shows a feminine and
bright personality, with aromas of leather, small berry
fruit, cassis and licorice. It’s structured and crisp, with
good freshness and a silky mouthfeel. Fourcade &
Hecht Wine Selections. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $80
92
Uccelliera 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). Always a knockout Brunello,
Uccelliera’s 2006 Riserva seems on the ripe side, with
jammy fruit aromas and savory beef jerky notes at the
back. The firmness and natural acidity associated with
Sangiovese is present, but the aromas show hints of candied
fruit and spicy plum cake. A Marc de Grazia selection;
various American importers. —M.L.
abv: 15% Price: $65
92
Villa Poggio Salvi 2006 Riserva (Brunello
di Montalcino). This is a broad, masculine
Brunello with layers of spice, leather, Spanish cedar,
cola and cured meat. The mouthfeel is streamlined
and elegant, with crisp acidity and a solidly tannic base.
Shaw-Ross International Importers. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $60
91
Collelceto 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). Warm spice and dark fruit tones
with cured meat, bresaola, licorice, black pepper, leather
and tobacco define this expression. The wine is plush
rich, structured and firm.Montecastelli Selections.
—M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $60
91
Fattoi 2006 Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino).
This dark wine opens with bright
fruit aromas that are soft and straightforward. The wine
presents bold cherry, blackberry and spicy rum cake flavors,
and a mouthfeel that is fresh and round. The finish
is dominated by chewy berry fruit. Tricana Imports.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $75
91
La Palazzetta 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). There’s a bright, pungent, inyour-face
aroma of dried fruit and black currant. Maybe
a touch of dried apple, too. This wine offers dark concentration
with loads of density and intensity. Plush, rich
and nicely framed by firm tannins and a drying mineral
note, it shows positive evolution in the glass. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $NA
91
Le Gode 2006 Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino).
A sweet nose of oak spice, almond
marzipan and cherry cola makes for a nice first impression.
It boasts loads of balsam intensity with cola, ginger
and black licorice. It’s ripe, chewy and covers the palate
while delivering tight structure on the long finish. Conexport.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $90
91
Le Macioche 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). Linear and bright, with firm
structure and smoky hints of leather, tobacco and candied
fruit. This is a bold, austere Brunello, with notes
of root beer and white pepper on the close. Vintner Select.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $NA
91
Palazzo 2006 Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino).
Opens with dark, savory layers of
Indian spice, candied fruit, plum, licorice and graham
cracker. The texture is thick, viscous and rich, but a
bright touch of acidity washes over the palate and keeps
it refreshed. The endnote features tertiary aromas of
leather, cola and crushed mineral. Bedford International.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $105
91
Poggio Rubino 2006 Riserva (Brunello
di Montalcino). Neutral on the nose with
smoked ham and dark leather tones, this wine shows
tertiary aromas of wild mushroom, earth and black licorice.
It has a ripe, round quality to its fruit, with firm
structure. Very tangy, bright and refreshing on the close.
. —M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $NA
91
SassodiSole 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). This Brunello has a warm, earthy
personality embodied by its wild mushroom, leather, tobacco
and ripe fruit notes. There’s crème de cassis and
cherry liqueur as well. The wine’s mouthfeel is bright
and crisp. The Gullà Group. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $88
91
Tenuta Oliveto 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). This wine definitely shows a ripe
side in its cured meat, tobacco, sandalwood, smoked
bacon and old spice. Delivers a rich, plump feel in the
mouth, backed by gritty tannins and bright acidity. Despite
the cooler vintage, this wine packs power, heat and
a tiny touch of sweetness on the close. IMA Imports.
—M.L.
abv: 14.5% Price: $79
90
Collemattoni 2006 Vigna Fontelontano
Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino). This
vineyard-designated Riserva shows a broad portfolio
of tertiary aromas with crushed stone, licorice, cassis,
leather and smoked meat. It is evolved and silky,
with a fresh, crisp close and enough complexity to ride
smoothly across the palate. Vignaioli. —M.L.
abv: NA Price: $79
90
Sesti 2006 Phenomena Riserva (Brunello
di Montalcino). There’s a ripe, cooked quality
with black fruit, toasted nut, cured meat and wild mushroom
to this expression. The fruit tones are candied and
mature, and the wine offers a ean and compact mouthfeel
with a two-fold blast of acidity and tannin.Kermit
Lynch Wine Merchant. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $NA
90
Terre Nere 2006 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). Ripe aromas of dark fruit, crème
de cassis and cherry liqueur. The wine is thick, juicy and
chewy, with a touch of tightness or astringency on the
close.Monsieur Touton Selection Ltd. —M.L.
abv: 14% Price: $50
89
La Torre 2006 Riserva (Brunello di Montalcino).
This wine has a more vinous nose with
bold cherry and raspberry aromas followed by leather,
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