Altesino Rosso di Montalcino 2010

Ruby red in color when young, with garnet nuances which tend to be enhanced with age. Very intense and persistent on the nose with aromas of violet and ripe plum that also appear on the palate. firm tannins that need to become round.

This relatively large estate continues to produce some of the most elegant, balanced, yet ageworthy wines in the district. Winemaking here is fairly straightforward, with an eye to preserving primary fruit and retaining the character of the terroirs. As at most of the more progressive estates today, the wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The Brunello grapes usually see a two-week cuvaison. About 30% of the Montosoli Brunello gets three to six months' aging in barriques. Those who say that modern Brunello doesn't age well need only regard older vintages of Altesino's wines. This is a first-rate estate, whose wines in lesser years, while slighter, still show very good balance and drinkability.

Dark garnet with a ruby rim. Lovely scents of plum, mocha and tobacco regale the nose. Sweet on entry, then nicely delineated, with flavors of plum jam, licorice, mint and tar. Plushly textured, with full fuzzy tannins, this medium-to-full-bodied wine exudes earthy undertones in the lingering finish.

The 1999 Brunello di Montalcino, a classic garnet in color, is logically more powerful and penetrating on the nose, with tobacco and leather along with the red fruit, and shows a sizeable and vigorous palate which will need a bit of time to fully smooth out its tannins. Drink: 2005-2015.

Bright, dark red. Complex nose melds cherry, sweet spices, herbs and woodsy, truffley underbrush. Juicy, brisk and penetrating on the palate, with highly aromatic but rather cool red berry and floral flavors. Very youthful wine, finishing with lovely length and lift, and late notes of currant, cherry and leather. The tannins dust the front teeth. Needs six or seven years of additional bottle aging.

The stunning, single vineyard 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli, exhibits more new oak than its sibling, as well as more power, concentration, alcohol, and extract. A deep garnet color accompanies huge, sweet aromas of roasted herbs, red and blac... Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. A Sangiovese Grosso wine from Tuscany in Italy. 1997 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli 750ml

Outstandingly fresh aromas of roses, berries and spicy oak with hints of incense. Full-bodied, with silky and caressing tannins and a long, finely textured finish. A very pretty wine already. Hard to resist. Best after 2005.