The 2007 Rosso di Montalcino is a decidedly firm, imposing Rosso packed with fruit. Readers should not mistake this for an easygoing wine. It is anything but that. This richly textured, powerful Rosso flows onto the palate with superb richness in its dark red fruit, smoke, minerals and tobacco. Everything is supported by firm yet sweet tannins all the way through to the finish where a blast of tar adds a final note of complexity. Pacenti is in a class with few peers when it comes to Rosso di Montalcino. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2017. Giancarlo Pacenti farms 20 hectares of Sangiovese vineyards, the vast majority of which are Brunello-designated. Pacenti is one of the few producers who believes in bottling a single Brunello made from plots across various zones within Montalcino, which he believes leads to wines of greater complexity and balance. In 2004, Pacenti’s Brunello is composed roughly of 60% fruit from the southern part of Montalcino, while 40% of the fruit comes from vineyards planted in the northern part of the region, closer to the winery itself. Pacenti employs a Bordeaux-like model where only the best lots are bottled into the Brunello, which he considers his ‘Grand Vin,’ while the secondary lots are bottled as Rosso di Montalcino. That said, 2004 also brings with it a twist, as it is the first time Pacenti has produced a separate bottling from a small old-vine plot near the estate. These are wines of the very highest level, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Importer: Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300