772 | Wine | 2006 | Page 4

"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."

"Complex notes of pepper, spice box, bacon, blueberry and blackberry liqueur. It has gobs of fruit and a velvety texture."

"There's lots of currant and blackberry in this, with hints of sandalwood. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins that turn chewy, but also a solid core of fruit underneath, with new wood. Structured and serious."

"The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva flows with the essence of dark cherries, blackberries, flowers, violets, licorice and spices, all supported by firm, structured tannins. The 2006 boasts striking inner perfume, big fruit and a huge, explosive finish. The 2006 Riserva is surprisingly vibrant, focused and balanced for such a big wine. The Riserva was made from the estate’s highest altitude vineyards and aged one year in barrique and a second year in cask."

"A candidate for one of the finest St-Juliens of the vintage. ...St-Pierre’s 2006 is one of the smaller productions in this consistent appellation, making it difficult to find in the marketplace. Its deep opaque purple color is accompanied by notes of roasted herbs, charcoal, graphite, and extravagant creme de cassis and licorice. Full-bodied, powerful, deep, and rich with outstanding balance, purity, texture, and length, this stunning 2006 will be very long-lived." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"The 2006 Shiraz Command is a glass-coating opaque purple. Aromas of scorched earth, pencil lead, sandalwood, meat blood, game, and blueberry are followed by a dense, voluptuous, layered Shiraz with tons of flavor."

"The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Gemini opens with knock-out aromatics that lead to expressive layers of ripe red fruit, flowers, spices, licorice and tobacco. The balance of fruit, acidity and tannin is fabulous. Freshly cut roses, spices and licorice reappear to frame the finish. This is an exceptional, totally refined Brunello from Andrea Mantengoli."

"This is a quintessentially elegant Margaux, with a dense ruby/purple color and notes of charcoal, cassis, a hint of smoking embers, and a subtle touch of spring flower garden. Dense on the palate with medium to full-bodied flavors, superb concentration, and moderate tannin, this wine requires patience, but is impeccably well-made as usual." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"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."