Pacenti’s flagship bottling, the 2007 Brunello di Montalcino PS is striking. Sweet roses, red berries, cinnamon and dried flowers all mesh together in the glass. Sweet, layered and totally impeccable, Pacenti’s 2007 PS is one of the standouts of the year. It boasts stunning overall balance and class to burn. Silky tannins support the stunning, utterly gracious finish. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. With these new releases, Giancarlo Pacenti shows why he is one of the very finest growers in Montalcino. Pacenti owns vineyards both in the north and south of Montalcino. In 2008, hail and rain reduced yields by about 30% in Pacenti’s holdings in Piancornello, in the southern part of Montalcino, which tilts the composition of the estate’s flagship Brunello in favor of fruit from the north, near the winery itself. Over the last few years, Pacenti has begun to introduce 500-liter barrels to augment the standard French oak barriques that remain the core of the estate’s cooperage program. The use of the tonneau began with the top-of-the-line PS bottling, which is predominantly aged in 500-liter barrels. After having tasted many wines from barrel here over the years, it seems pretty clear Sangiovese that is so meticulously farmed to low yields responds best to the larger sized French oak barrels. For those who haven’t tasted the Pacenti wines in a few years, you owe it to yourself to do so. Giancarlo Pacenti’s wines have never been this refined or polished. Importers: Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; Golden State Wine, Van Nuys, CA; tel. (818) 908-9509; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; tel. (781) 352-1100; Casa Bruno, Portland, OR; tel. (503) 235-7429