The 2008 Rosso di Montalcino (labeled Rosso di Casanova di Neri for the US) is a beautiful, impeccably balanced wine. There is lovely transparency and elegance to the fruit in an expression of Sangiovese that offers gorgeous roundness in a mid-weight, elegant style. The finish is long, soft and caressing. Even better, this is an outstanding value. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2013. Proprietor Giacomo Neri makes some of the richest, most textured Brunellos readers will come across. The house style favors a lush expression of fruit with a softness that makes the wines very appealing upon release. In recent years the wines have become more elegant, with less of the excessive heaviness that characterized prior vintages. Based on what I tasted from barrel, future vintages hold quite a bit of promise as well. This year, readers – especially those on a budget (who isn’t on a budget these days?) should focus on the 2005 Brunello di Montalcino (sometimes also known as the ‘white label’), which is an overachiever because it includes fruit from the Cerretalto vineyard, the source of the estate’s top wine, which was not bottled in 2005. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405