The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is a pretty wine laced with generous, plummy red berries, flowers and spices. Medium in body, this approachable Brunello is commendable for its soft, forward fruit and refined finish. This is a relatively slender, lithe vintage, and the 2005 Brunello is best enjoyed on the young side. In 2005 the fruit is 60% Piancornello, in the southern part of Montalcino, and 40% Pelagrilli, next to the winery itself. The single-vineyard PS was not produced in 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Giancarlo Pacenti continues to prove he has the magic touch when it comes to making rich, textured wines that show plenty of Sangiovese character. My visit this year with Pacenti was fascinating as I had an opportunity to taste through a number of older Brunellos going back to 1988, most of which have aged very well. Pacenti is one of the few producers who does not believe in the single-vineyard approach to Brunello, preferring to blend fruit from plots near his winery, on the northern side of Montalcino, with those he owns in the southern part of the region. The Brunello PS, a single-plot Brunello Pacenti made for the first time in 2004 (there will be no 2005) is the exception. The Rosso is a second selection of barrels that don’t reach Pacenti’s exacting standard for Brunello. All of the wines are aged in French oak. Importer: Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Displays notes of blueberry and light toasty oak, with coffee bean undertones. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a gorgeous aftertaste of chocolate and dark berry. Hard not to drink this now. Best after 2011. 2,915 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.??–JS??Region: Italy / Brunello di Montalcino Select to Add