Packaged with a blue wax capsule and a chunky glass bottle, the Tenute Silvio Nardi 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara opens to an inky dark appearance. The very first thing I noticed is the high alcohol content of the wine, measured here at 15.5%, which proves a distraction. The fruit is rich and concentrated, and there is a lot of oak spice and toast at the back. The tannins are dry. Production is limited to 4,000 bottles.

In years past, I have commented on the pretty mineral nuances laced into the bouquet of this single-vineyard wine. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara delivers those tones with extreme clarity and precision, giving this vintage a distinctive personality and identity. Equally impressive, however, is the structure and fiber of the wine that is clearly more robust, concentrated and well-balanced overall. This quality comes from both the fruit and the oak, and these two forces play against each other with nice contrasts. It is no exaggeration to say that this vintage delivers "more Brunello" on all fronts compared to recent past vintages. This is a standout wine.

Tenute Silvio Nardi farms some very interesting vineyard sites on the northern side of the appellation. Of these sites, the Manachiara vineyard is very distinctive. Cool nighttime temperatures and diurnal shifts add to the sharpness and definition of this pretty wine. From a warm vintage, the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara benefits from its cool microclimate. The bouquet opens to wild rose and cherry, but there is a unique mineral tone that recalls slate or crushed granite. Subtle spice and milled white pepper give length and complexity to this beautifully balanced Brunello. This is a terrific wine from the lovely 2015 vintage.

This single-vineyard expression of Sangiovese boats a beautiful, dark ruby color. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara is a robust and shapely wine. The bouquet offers dark cherry, cassis, cola, tobacco and grilled rosemary twig. But like the others wines from Tenute Silvio Nardi released this year, there is a bitter or sour note that stands out against the more delicate flavor profile of the wine. My hope is that it will find better integration with time.

The Nardi family's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara opens to rich saturation and concentration followed by a full bouquet of generous spice and dark fruit. Dark plum, prune, blackberry and cassis all emerge on the nose to be followed quickly by spice, cola, tar and licorice. This is an intense Brunello to the nth degree. Sweet oak tannins wrap thickly over the palate and remind you that the wine needs a few more years of bottle aging.