The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is an ideal wine for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Time has softened the tannins and opened up the aromatics nicely, but there is lovely depth and good freshness for a wine of this age. Sweet tobacco, cedar, cherry and licorice shape the soft, open-knit finish. The virile expression of Sangiovese that is such a signature of these wines is evident, but it has also been tempered a bit by the passage of time. This is a striking 2004 Brunello.

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is totally classic and beautifully mature, opening with autumnal spice, dried flowers and worn leather notes that complement orange-kissed cherries. It floods the palate with soft contours and ripe red berry fruits, elevated by juicy acidity. This remains impossibly young and vibrant, tapering off with potent spice tones that linger under rosy inner florals. The 2004 Brunello from Lisini is such a treat and shows no signs of decline.

Good full, bright red. Pungent, high-pitched aromas of redcurrant, red cherry, rose petal, minerals and leather, lifted by a spicy component; rather Burgundian. Suave, silky, dry and classic; offers plenty of stuffing without obvious weight. This refined wine really saturates the palate with perfumed flavors of redcurrant, leather, mocha and underbrush. Has the juicy acidity and the firm tannic spine to support a slow and successful evolution in bottle. Very classy sangiovese.