Giulio and Alessia Salvioni's 2009 Brunello di Montalcino is pliant and expressive on the palate. Sweet, perfumed aromatics wrap around a core of dark red cherries, savory herbs, crushed flowers and anise. The layered, creamy finish is especially appealing. Salvioni fans will want to drink the 2009 while some of the more important vintages age in the cellar. This is a strong effort for what has turned out to be a very challenging vintage in Montalcino.

Good full red. Complex, scented nose offers pure aromas of redcurrant, truffle, mint, flint and violet. Juicy, silky and sweet, with highly nuanced flavors of aromatic herbs and flowers nicely complementing the crisp, bright red berry flavors. Not hugely dense but wonderfully expressive today, even if its firm tannic spine calls for patience. This is one of the top five wines of the vintage; in fact, I think it's much better, sweeter and more layered than Salvioni's 2008 Brunello.