The Agostina Pieri 2018 Brunello di Montalcino reveals oak toast and spice with lots of ripe fruit and black plum that comes from the warmer side of the appellation. You feel the heat of the vintage that translates here to soft fruit and an accessible approach. There is Sangiovese freshness, but this vintage puts more emphasis on textural heft and fruit density. This estate farms 12 hectares of Brunello vines, and this year's production is 23,000 bottles.

The vintage ripeness, seen here with blackberry syrup and cherry liqueur, definitely comes through in this 2017 Brunello di Montalcino from Agostina Pieri. So does the high alcohol content, measured at 15.5% in this bottle. The wine does show good acidity to balance the effects, but ultimately this Sangiovese is a bit overpowering. Like other wines from 2017, I would suggest a near-term drinking window.

The Agostina Pieri 2015 Brunello di Montalcino has a somewhat deconstructed or fragmented bouquet in which you can taste the warm-vintage fruit, the oak spice and the grapes' tart freshness, all in distinct and separate categories. This is true even after the wine has been open for a while. (I tasted most of these samples over a range of time.) However, these elements do come together with a smoother transition after plenty of breathing. I see this as a long-term Brunello or one that is best enjoyed after another three to five years of bottle age. It needs to evolve past the pretty youthfulness on show right now.

The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino is a smooth and silky interpretation of Sangiovese. It plays the elegance card very nicely and doles out a steady succession of forest berry, wild rose and balsam herb aromas. Despite that delicate touch, the wine leaves the palate clean and polished, thanks to the natural acidity and fruity brightness at its core. All it needs is a few more years of time to flesh out further in the bottle.

Agostina Pieri has crafted a delicious wine. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is a dark and deeply perfumed expression of Sangiovese. The wine opens to a much deeper and blacker ruby hue than compared to past years and the bouquet is polished and smoothly textured. The alcohol is high at 15.5% but that power and intensity is nicely wrapped within the wine's supple richness. This is a delicious Brunello at a quasi-affordable price tag.