2009 Valdicava Riserva Brunello Di Montalcino Madonna del Piano

(95 Points) The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is an expressive and articulate wine that speaks highly of Sangiovese and the Montalcino territory. The wine offers a pristine narrative of both grape and place with crystalline aromas of cherry, blackberry, spice, leather, smoke and Mediterranean herb. The bouquet peels back one delicious layer at a time. The mouthfeel is similarly successful with deep concentration and complexity. It imparts soft layers of dried fruit and velvety tannins. Endnotes of espresso bean and toasted almond add length and momentum. There's even spot of chewy sweetness that is typical of the warm 2009 vintage.

Vincenzo Abbruzzese's Valdicava presents a fantastic tag team of wines representing the 2009 and 2010 vintages respectively. Both wines are delicious although I will note the earthy-gamy note in the base Brunello that prevented me from scoring it higher. My hesitation is that it might become more pronounced with aging.  eRobertParker.com #217, Feb 2015