Don’t let the firm tannins fool you, the 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is a stratospheric wine. It is one of the most powerful, intense and brooding wines of the vintage yet everything is miraculously in place. Dark cherries, licorice, new leather and flowers gradually emerge from a wall of unyielding tannins. With time in the glass the wine’s inner perfume gradually emerges. Smoke, tar, scorched earth and a host of dark, brooding flavors mark the long, powerful finish. Readers will need to be patient here, but the 2005 Madonna del Piano will deliver the goods. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. My visit with Vincenzo Abbruzzese was instructive, as always. His may very well be the most consistently outstanding wines in vintages 2006-2010. I was especially struck by a lone tank of 2010 Brunello from Montosoli, a wine that will probably ultimately be blended into the straight Brunello, but that in my view has more than enough pedigree to merit its own bottling. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907