3 | Wine | 2006, 1.5 L

"An elegant wine laced with dark cherries, plums, licorice, new leather, mint and French oak. All of the elements come together beautifully in this silky, mid-weight Brunello. The vibrant, eternal finish makes it hard to resist a second taste. This subtle, impeccably refined Brunello can be enjoyed with minimum cellaring, but it will be even better in another few years."

"The 2006 Barbaresco is a gorgeous, generous Barbaresco loaded with ripe dark fruit. This is an especially harmonious, refined Barbaresco from the Produttori that is also somewhat unusual for its dark, brooding personality. Licorice, leather and tar linger on the powerful finish. Today the wine is remarkable for its depth and concentration, while the aromatic complexity will develop in bottle...Simply put, this is a marvelous effort."

"The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a serious, intense Brunello. Wild cherries, herbs, tobacco, spices and worn-in leather are some of the aromas and flavors that flow from this wiry, structured wine. This shows plenty of length on the palate, although the tannins dry out a touch on the finish."

"Cherry, red berries, menthol and a whiff of marzipan on the nose and palate. Firm, harmonious acidity gives this wine lovely vinosity and elegance, with an enticing minerality adding complexity. This is riper and sweeter than the 2005-more glyceral-but has excellent energy. In fact, it's still a bit youthfully compressed. Carlo Revello noted that the estate increased the quality of its crus by declassifying a good bit of fruit in '06, but that this move was done "due to the market." This is the only Barolo here that's made in larger barrels."

"Focused and energetic in its ripe red fruits, menthol, spices and minerals. There is lovely depth in the glass, not to mention tons of balance. This is a beautiful, poised Barbaresco from Vietti. The Masseria will require considerable patience but its balance is impeccable."

"The 2006 Barolo Cascina Francia is a deep, muscular wine endowed with superb richness, inner perfume and structure. From cask this has always been an intense, inward Barolo and now that it is in bottle, those qualities seem even more prominent. Over time, the classic Cascina Francia bouquet of roses, tar, herbs and licorice comes forward, but only reluctantly. A massive wall of tannins prevents the fruit from emerging, but every now and then the wine shows hints of its ultimate potential."

"The 2006 Barolo Conca, from another of La Morra’s top sites, beautifully captures the house style in its dark red cherries, spices and menthol, all of which come together in a polished, focused expression of Nebbiolo. Rich and powerful, the wine offers exceptional depth and roundness on a finish that seems to last forever."

"The flagship wine, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select performed even better this year than last year. A candidate for one of the top “wines of the vintage,” it reveals beautiful aromas and flavors of grilled meats and herbs intertwined with extravagant amounts of blackberry and cassis fruit, licorice, and charcoal. Extremely full-bodied, pure, deep, and layered, this is another prodigious Hillside Select that should evolve for 25-30 years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"A sensational effort, the 2006 Mouton Rothschild exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a classic Mouton perfume of creme de cassis, flowers, blueberries, and only a hint of oak...The full-bodied, powerful 2006 possesses extraordinary purity and clarity. A large-scaled, massive Mouton Rothschild that ranks as one of the top four or five wines of the vintage, it may turn out to be the longest-lived wine of the vintage by a landslide...A packed and stacked first-growth Pauillac of enormous potential." Reviewed by Robert Parker.