The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is fabulous. Dark cherry, lavender, mint, hard candy and a host of balsamic-inflected notes soar from the glass as this towering, structured Rivera shows off its personality. This is one of the more tannic, backward Riserva of the vintage. As such, demands patience. Just as extraordinary as it was last year, the Riserva once again shows just how magical this vintage was for Andrea Costanti.

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva received an official “wow” from the moment I put my nose to the glass. Here I’m finding a beguiling bouquet of crushed black cherries and mint, mixed with cinnamon and grilled sage. There’s a cool-toned feel to the silky, medium-bodied textures, and a fruit profile that is still quite dense and tightly wound, with mineral-tinged red berries and savory spices cascading across the palate. What remains is a wall of heroic structure, yet also a pleasant inner sweetness and residual acids to balance. The 2010 has many years of development ahead of it, not quite ready to reveal its charms, but like a bomb just waiting to explode.

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva from Costanti shows a slight reduction on the nose, with a mixture of red and black fruit, a background scent of tomato vine and freshly-picked wild mint. It’s slightly meaty on the entry with a touch of licorice and aniseed. You have to admire the structure and focus of this Brunello as it manifests more and more complexity on the minerally-rich finish, as if catching up with the 2001 Soldera served in the same flight. This is a classy Brunello that deserves another couple of years in bottle.

This is a spectacular effort. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows deep, inner intensity and lovely aromatic characteristics that are very true to the mighty Sangiovese grape. You can't go wrong with a wine like this, especially if you are seeking the true flavors of Montalcino. The aromas are presented in neat and tidy fashion with wild berry, blue flower, spice and herb that converge to create a united front. In the mouth, the wine delivers ample power and momentum with dark flavors and firm structure. The wine need another few years of bottle aging to flesh out further.

Tasted blind. Deep ruby with orange rim. Composed, concentrated nose of red fruit with a little lift. A little austere yet very elegant and youthful. Lots of class. (WS)