The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura emerges from the glass with a burst of tar, smoke, licorice, earthiness and wild cherries. The sheer intensity and muscle of the fruit saturates the palate from start to finish. The 2006 is an especially round, seductive Poggio alle Mura. A few more years in bottle should help the firm tannins soften. The Poggio alle Mura was vinified in steel and aged predominantly (90%) in French oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026. A renewed focus on quality is in the air at Banfi. A new sorting table and smaller, custom-designed tanks that allow for parcel-by-parcel vinification were added for the 2007 harvest, and the first results seem promising. I tasted a number of single-clone and single-vineyard Brunelli from the 2009 vintage that showed beautifully, while an approximate blend of the 2007 Brunello was also strong. It will be fascinating to watch the direction Montalcino’s largest and best-known estate takes over the coming years. Importer: Banfi Vintners, Glen Head, NY; tel. (516) 626-9200

A bruising, powerful red, packed with plum and blackberry, but also stiff tannins. This will require some time to come together, but there's adequate sweetness up front. Best from 2014 through 2027. 4,583 cases made, 250 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Brunello di Montalcino Select to Add

The celebrated Poggio alle Mura Brunello delivers hearty masculine richness and deep layers of sassy spice that are offset by plush blackberry and cherry nuances. The wine shows solid structure that will soften with careful cellar aging.——M.L.(4/1/2011)—— 94