The Pinino 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pinone (in its elegant black label) stands far apart from the other wines in this flight, and the classic character of the vintage calls out loud and clear. That vintage personality is expressed with focus and clarity, and the quality of fruit is linear and tight, although it is not especially long lasting. This wine shows most of its pretty intensity up front and ends on a subtle note. I recommend giving this Riserva more time to flesh out.

The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pinone delivers lots of Sangiovese typicity and is especially expressive of how the grape performs in a warm vintage. You get a hint of dried cherry and crème de cassis with bramble, toasted almond and fragrant rosemary twig. Yet there is substance, power and texture at the back that should contribute to the wine's smooth aging trajectory.

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pinone is a delicious wine with a frank and upfront personality. This Brunello delivers lots of inner harmony and richness that is transmitted forward thanks to bright pulses of cherry fruit, toasted coffee bean, mocha and blackberry marmalade. The wine shows ample power, strength and elegance. The mouthfeel reveals a compact nature that is enhanced by impressive persistence.

An immediate, juicy wine, the 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pinone is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. Dark cherries, plums, mocha, licorice and spices flesh out over time. The 2007 Riserva is attractive for its immediacy, but there is less in the way of textural finesse than I had hoped for, especially when it comes to the tannins. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2019. Importer: Total Beverage Solution, Pleasant, SC; tel. (917) 538-2874