The delightful 2009 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Lago shows warm cherry and blackberry aromas backed by softer tones of leather, tobacco and spice. The nice thing about this wine is that the red fruit really is in center stage. Although there are no lakes that I know of in the Montalcino appellation, the vineyard designation refers to "lakeside vineyard" fruit. Balsam herb, dried ginger and rosemary add exciting accents to the overall bouquet. This is a very attractive Brunello with a steady and long approach.