2004 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Rennina

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina is a marvelous example of time and place, mixing savory herbs and crushed stones with dried black cherries and hints of spiced orange and clove. This is radiant, with cooling acidity and depths of red and black fruits that find a lovely lift through a minty freshness that embellishes the close. Still gently tannic and also incredibly long, the 2004 tapers off with impact and power but still leaves the palate nicely refreshed.

There’s a darkly alluring and dusty character to the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina that keeps you coming back to the glass. Blackberries and plums mix with nuances of lavender, moist soil and crushed violets. The textures are silky and soft, as ripe black cherries and spices flesh out across the palate, energized by zesty acidity, while grippy tannins form toward the close. The 2004 Rennina is persistent, powerful yet remarkably fresh, tapering off with hints of licorice and inner florals.

First vintage of the estate. Maturing cardinal ruby with orange rim. Incense and hints of dried fruit and fine oak. Finer than 2007 and it still needs to become a whole. Good grip of powdery and very muscular tannins. Still quite compact. Quite the dried-fruit direction, but with complexity. The tannins make the finish a little dry. (WS)