Marchesi De' Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo 1999

Good medium ruby color. Superripe aroma of kirsch. Sweet, dense, and a bit youthfully musclebound, with concentrated flavors of black cherry, blackberry and Valrhona chocolate. Still a bit folded in on itself, but this is solid, young and built to age.

A tight and chewy wine, with full body and lots of raisin and spice character. Impressive, ripe tannins. Thick and powerful; needs time in the bottle. From one of the most serious producers in Montalcino now. Best after 2007.

Lamberto Frescobaldi, 41, is now leading his familyrsquo;s extensive Tuscan holdings. This 373-acre estate represents one of the largest properties in the Brunello region. In 1999, Frescobaldi increased the amount of labor in the vineyards by a third to improve quality. This 100 percent Sangiovese is aged three years in large casks and small French oak barrels. Consulting enologist Nicolo drsquo;Afflitto has worked closely with Frescobaldi since 1991.

Aromas of plum, berry and flowers. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a ripe fruit finish. Delicious and hard to resist. Best after 2006.

The 1999 Brunello di Montalcino is, for me the best produced to date (though there will unquestionably be a Riserva from the vintage next year), a blackish garnet with a sizeable and warm nose of plums, resin, liquorice, and chocolate and a substantial, firm, and intense palate, sustained and lingering on the aftertaste.

Lamberto Frescobaldi has worked for more than 10 years with in-house enologist Niccol d'Afflitto to achieve an exceptional level of quality at the Castelgiocondo estate, one of the largest in the Montalcino area. Like all Brunellos, this is 100 percent Sangiovese (Brunello is the name of the local clone). It is aged for three years in a mixture of large oak casks and small French oak barrels.

The estate's medium-bodied 2001 Brunello do Montalcino is a plump, juicy effort displaying attractive super-ripe dark fruit and toasted oak flavors with good concentration, length and balance. Though well-made, this Brunello shows very little soul or personality. It is a simple, accessible wine to enjoy now and over the next ten or so years. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2016.