Vivid deep red. Musky, deep, mineral-tinged aromas of red cherry, violet and crystallized orange peel. Sweet, lush and packed with red fruit, blood orange nectar and savory underbrush flavors; a step up in sheer size from Costanti’s 2013 Brunello. At once powerful and refined, this seriously saturates the palate with flavor, vibrant minerality and noble tannins. This is everything a great Brunello ought to be.

Dark, warming and seductive in the glass, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva entrances with masses of cherry and plum sauce offset by cloves, hints of blood orange and a dusting of violet candies. Its textures are like crushed velvet, weighty yet refined, with a wave of ripe red and hints of blue fruit that coast along a core of energizing acidity. A tart twang of sour citrus adds further gravitas, as grippy tannins tug at the palate; and yet the mouth continues to water, as salty mineral tones and hints of red licorice slowly fade. This is a towering expression of the vintage, which will continue to impress for many years to come. I’m not sure how it’s possible, but the 2012 Riserva seems to get better every time I revisit it.

Lustrous mid ruby with orange tinges. Fine, highly concentrated cherry nose and succulent palate with equal measures of concentrated cherry and firm, polished tannins. Chewy, long and serious tannic length and style. Amazing length, depth and linearity of tannins. (WS)