Uccelliera's 2004 Brunello di Montalcino packs a serious punch. Cedar, pipe, tobacco, dried cherry and menthol race out of the glass. Rich, explosive and super-expressive, the 2004 is going through a period of real brilliance right now. Even so, I would prefer to finish any bottles over the next few years, as the fruit is starting to dry out. Today, though, the 2004 is brilliant.

Complex aromas of rose, blackberry, blueberry and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, with wonderfully velvety tannins and focused, juicy, rich fruit. Long and intense. The finish shows berry, tobacco, toasty oak, berry and chocolate. Goes on and on. One of the wines of the vintage. Best after 2011. 1,890 cases made. (James Suckling)

A total seductress, the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino blends depths of crushed black cherry and autumnal spice with tobacco, worn leather and lifted hints of mint. This is soothingly ripe, displaying a pretty inner sweetness that only maturity can bring, with juicy acidity and masses of ripe cherry-berry fruits that sweep across the palate with ease. It finishes structured with a warming cherry liqueur sensation yet no sign of heat, leaving a tinge of tart cranberry and clove to resonate over a semblance of edgy tannins. This is a glorious interpretation of Southern Montalcino fruit—the first vintage that blended parcels from the highest to the lowest elevations of the region. It is a spectacular Brunello at the peak of its maturity.

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is simply gorgeous in the way all of its elements come together. It’s hard to know where to start with this wine. Smoke, scorched earth, black cherries and wild herbs are all melded seamlessly in a Brunello loaded with flavor, personality and sheer character. The wine possesses formidable concentration and phenomenal length, with lingering notes of sweetness that round out the close. Uccelliera’s Brunello was impressive from cask, and it is just as impressive now that it is in bottle. Readers who have the opportunity to taste the wine at this young stage should not hesitate although a few years are needed before it blossoms fully. Simply put, this is the finest wine I have tasted from Andrea Cortonesi. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. (Antonio Galloni)

Good deep red with ruby highlights. Ripe nose combines currant, tobacco, chocolate and pungent spices. Silky-sweet and sappy, with an uncommonly suave texture and lovely floral lift. This really fills the mouth without leaving any impression of weight. The long, broad, rising finish sparkles with mineral dust. A superb example.