The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is a warm, radiant wine endowed with gorgeous fruit. Red cherries, flowers and minerals come together in this beautifully articulated, soft Brunello. The richness and density of the fruit carry through to a long, caressing finish. In keeping with the nature of the vintage, this is a relatively small scaled, feminine Brunello from Pieri but its graceful balance makes it a wine readers will not want to miss. I tasted the 2002 – from a much weaker vintage – next to the 2005 and it was still very much vibrant and alive. The estate gave the 2005 Brunello four weeks of maceration on the skins. The wine spent a year in equal parts 225-liter barrique and 600-liter demi-muid followed by a second year in 30 and 40-hectoliter casks. Consulting oenologist Fabrizio Moltard describes 2005 as a year with mostly stable temperatures. Expectations were running high until September, when rain became an issue. The fruit was harvested during the first week of October. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Although Agostina Pieri is a relative newcomer on the scene the wines have rightly attracted quite a bit of attention in a short period of time. This rustic, stripped-down winery is located in Piancornello, in the southern district between Castelnuovo dell’Abate and Sant’Angelo Scalo where all of the estate’s vineyards are located. Pieri’s son Francesco Monaci oversees production along with gregarious consulting oenologist Fabrizio Moltard, the man behind a number of emerging producers in Tuscany, including Montepeloso. Pieri is among the producers moving towards an increased use of cask over smaller French oak barrels. I tasted all of the Brunellos and Rossos in barrel from vintages 2006-2009 and came away deeply impressed. Perhaps the most fascinating wine I tasted was the 2002 Brunello, from the worst vintage in recent memory. Though undoubtedly a small-scaled, lithe offering, the wine was fresh, intact and simply beautiful. Importer: The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484