Castello Banfi, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2008

As much as I like Banfi’s Rosso from the Poggio alle Mura vineyard, their Brunello from that vineyard shows why Brunello is one of Italy’s great wine. The 2008 vintage, an excellent one for Brunello, was cooler producing structured racy wines. Producers in the southern part of the zone, such as Banfi, were particularly successful, as this wine shows, because the extra warmth harmonized beautifully with the overall verve of the vintage. This Brunello is extraordinary — layered simultaneously with dark earthy essence, cherry-like fruitiness, and spice. Though each sip reveals new flavors, the balance and harmony of the wine is constant. Not an overtly fruity wine, its beauty lies in a deep dark minerality. It’s long and intense yet not flamboyant. Replete with polished tannins, I’d still give this wine at least another five years of cellaring to develop even more complexity and refinement