This is the second vintage of Piero, a wine that pays homage to the winery's founder. The Talenti 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Piero shows a bigger and bolder style next to the classic 2016 Brunello; however, this wine remains graceful and lifted nonetheless. It does not make the mistake of showing too much extraction or concentration (it is aged in tonneau for two years), and its pretty personality is especially bright and chiseled in the 2016 vintage. The mouthfeel shows a little more weight (and maybe less freshness, or the impression of less freshness) compared to the classic bottling. There is a just a touch more fruit concentration and richness with the 4,000-bottle release.

Numbered bottles, this is number 0945 from 3,870. Lustrous mid ruby. Deep nose with notes of fragrant leafy cherry fruit and posh oak. Still a little tight but strikingly elegant on the palate. Sweetly spiced cherry with super-fine but persistent tannins. Succulent and fresh and with a long cherry- and oak-perfumed finish. (WS)