The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino is an impressive and impeccable wine that delivers a slow and sensual progression on the palate. Along the way, it leaves a steady stream of ripe fruit, spice, tobacco, licorice and balsam herb that is both impactful and vibrant. The wine’s aromas are very well-delineated, clean and never color outside the lines. The textural fabric of the wine is velvety and rich, thanks to a long 43 months in oak. Having had the opportunity to taste many older vintages of Giacomo’s wines, I find that they possess a great capacity for cellar aging. Drink: 2016-2026. Bouncing around in a dusty Jeep, Giacomo Neri takes me to visit his beloved Tenuta Nuova vineyard located in the most wild and rustic southeast corner of the appellation. As the Jeep navigates wildly around rocky bluffs and splashes through muddy puddles left by the morning’s showers, Giacomo seems unfocused on the obstacle-strewn path before him. With one arm pointing out the window he lists the scientific names of the various shrubs and bushes that go whizzing past. A wild hare appears in our sights and Giacomo accelerates to award me a closer look at the local fauna. One of Montalcino’s most polarizing figures, Giacomo Neri is many things: he is an obsessively quality-minded vintner, a clever businessman and a trailblazer who is largely responsible for introducing the concept of “modern Brunello.” Call it “Brunello 2.0” if you will. But on this overcast winter afternoon, Giacomo Neri is one of the many proud offspring born from mother Montalcino. Importer: Dalla Terra Winery Direct, www.dallaterra.com

A medium-weight, elegant red, offering cherry, licorice, spice and tar flavors. Open, with light to medium tannins and moderate length. Best from 2015 through 2023. 5,800 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Brunello di Montalcino Select to Add