It is hard to believe that Valdicava's 1997 Brunello di Montalcino is nearly a decade old. With its huge, earthy nose and layers of densely packed fruit it could easily be mistaken for a much younger wine. As it sits in the glass underbrush, smoke and sweet dark fruit nuances emerge from this brooding, backward Brunello. Still showing notable concentration, it will continue to drink well for another 10-15 years and shows how well this producer's wines develop as they lose some of their baby-fat plumpness in the bottle. Anticipated maturity

The 1997 Brunello di Montalcino (1,200 cases) is a dense, structured, full-bodied, intense effort revealing notes of licorice, smoke, leather, spice, and earth. With plenty of ripeness, fruit, glycerin, and concentration as well as high tannin, it will be at its finest between 2007-2017.