In a vintage where so many wines already appear tired, Gaja’s 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina jumps from the glass with vibrant aromas and flavors. Violets, black cherries, tobacco, licorice and menthol all appear later, adding further shades of complexity. The tannins are firm yet beautifully integrated. Pieve Santa Restituta fans know than Rennina can be deceptively medium in body, yet it has a great track record for aging. Today, the wine is simply gorgeous. This is one of the few 2008s I would buy to cellar. There is little doubt the Rennina is one of the standouts in 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2026. Leave it to Angelo Gaja and his team to make two of the most impressive Brunellos of the vintage. Both wines are magnificent in 2008. As always, the Rennina is the more floral and feminine of the wines, while the Sugarille is built on a firmer structural core. In the past, the two single-vineyard designate Brunellos have been further away in terms of quality, but in 2008 they are much closer. I suspect that has to do with the introduction of new non-vineyard designate Brunello, a wine I did not taste for this article. The Pieve Santa Restituta Brunellos typically offer considerable early appeal, but they have also proven to age exceptionally well. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604 8900

Floral, cherry and spice aromas and flavors mingle in this red, which is pure, if a bit oaky, lent structure by a combination of wood and grape tannins. Fine length. Best from 2017 through 2033. 2,500 cases made.??–BS??Region: Italy / Brunello di Montalcino Select to Add