2010 Brunello di Montalcino

Salicutti’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione lifts from the glass with the most exquisite aromatics imaginable. The 2010 has really come together over the last six months. I suppose that should not be too much of a surprise, as the 2010 was bottled later than normal, but I am still deeply impressed with how nuanced and complete the Piaggione is today. Proprietor Francesco Leanza has done a fabulous job elevating these wines over the last few years. This is another Brunello that on any other night is the best wine on the table. Tonight it is merely sublime and haunting in its beauty.

A dark, dense wine, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione is going to need time to fully unwind, as the tannins are quite imposing. Tobacco, cedar, dried herbs, mint and roasted coffee beans lift effortlessly from the glass. On the palate, the wine is less giving, but there is quite a bit of underlying energy and tension. Dried rose petal, lavender and sage add the final notes of complexity on the savory, saline-infused finish. There is a lot going on, but readers need to be patient. The 2010 was bottled a bit later than normal, so I will not be surprised to see it blossom quite a bit over the next few years.