The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Picchio is a serious step up from the preceding wines in this lineup. This single-vineyard selection emerges from the glass with an intense, virtually opaque color and masses of dark, sumptuous fruit. The explosiveness of the fruit saturates the palate, but there is enough acidity from the Sangiovese to lend drive and focus to the finish. Smoke, new leather and licorice add the final layers of complexity to this dark, brooding Riserva. This is a beautiful effort from Castello di Querceto. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026. Proprietor Alessandro Francois makes a wide range of wines, but the stars are his single-vineyard bottlings. This year, the wines are more variable than in the past, but to be fair, some of the less interesting bottles are from the challenging 2005 harvest.Importer (all wines except Cignale): Prestige Wine Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 229-0080. Importer (Cignale only): Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900