2008 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino

The 2008 Brunello di Montalcino is perfumed with tart red and hints of black fruit, lifted by a compelling mix of mentholated herbs, licorice and roses. Silky yet lifted and pure in feel, this shows pretty red berries and inner florals, and balanced acids create a mouthwatering feel. I love the symmetry as this tapers off cheek-puckering and fresh, making for an excellent option to accompany a meal today. While there are still a few years left for the 2008 to evolve, I don’t see it as the longest-lived vintage.

A dark, powerful wine, the 2008 Brunello di Montalcino hits the palate with intense dark fruit, smoke, tobacco, licorice, menthol and spices. In 2008, the estate's Brunello is decidedly powerful and brooding in style, with ferocious tannins that need time to settle down and enough overall structure to age for many years. A blast of game, smoke, licorice and incense reappears on the finish. The 2008 is a real powerhouse, partly because there was no Riserva bottled that year. Readers will have to be patient. Still, if I were looking for an under the radar Brunello that remains undiscovered, this would be it.

They didn’t make a Riserva in this vintage, not because there wasn’t the quality, but they felt that the straight Brunello would suffer because of that. Just mid ruby with broad orange tinged rim. Notes of sweet spiced cherry and oatmeal. A hint of cocoa. A little more backward than the 2010 and lots of acidity that lifts precise raspberry fruit. Mid-to-full-bodied mouth-feel matched by fantastic tactile tannins. Wonderful, elegant wine. (WS)