Capanna’s 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a gorgeous, substantial wine endowed with tremendous purity in its dark red fruit. Smoke, tar, roses and licorice develop on the mid-palate, adding further complexity. The round, harmonious finish is equally impressive. This is a decidedly young, vibrant wine with a long, future ahead of it. The wine’s sheer concentration and depth are remarkable. The Brunello was fermented in oak uprights, then spent 38 months in Slavonian oak casks of ranging from 10 to 25 hectoliters. This is the finest wine I can remember tasting from Capanna in some time. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026. Importers: Masciarelli Wine Company, Weymouth, MA; tel. (781) 335-6620; Villa Italia Imports, South San Francisco, CA; tel. (650) 873-6060

This beautiful Brunello will charm your socks off. The wine is rich and plush, deep and concentrated, intense and ripe with personality. It offers a modern yet sneakily sophisticated nose with tones of bright cherry, almond paste and vanilla. The tannins are still a bit firm and so give it another five years of cellar aging.