Wine Spectator:  Rated as Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style.  "Sweet berry and plum, with fresh flowers and cigar box undertones. Full-bodied, with super silky tannins and delicious red licorice, plum tart and cedar on the finish. So yummy now, but better in a few years. Real deal. Best after 2010. 1,600 cases made." Oct 2009

Winery:  "Color: Clear, purple-red. Bouquet: Aromas of intense blackberry, black currants and dark cherries.  Palate: Full bodied with tremendous depth and richness of dark, ripe fruit jam characters, spicy and cedary oak nuances, well balanced acidity and a lingering mineral finish.  Serve at 18°C."

Wired For Wine:  We absolutely love a good Brunello (especially from the fantastic 2004 vintage), and the rich, silky Cantine Leonardo Brunello di Montalcino is just terrific. Savor the first glass with a room temperature robust antipasto of mushrooms or eggplant.  The intense personality of this Brunello requires a good, hearty meal to follow. The excellent balance of fruit and refined tannins of this classic vintage will pair wonderfully with meat, meat sauce, game and game bird dishes alike.  Bistecca alla Fiorentina, steak grilled the Florentine way, is another great option. The intoxicating perfume of this Brunello will recruit even the most stoic of sippers when paired with a roasted lamb dish.  Oven-roasted potatoes tossed with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of sea salt, and grilled asparagus with lemon-Parmesan butter will be fantastic with both the steak and the lamb. When you've had a moment, pour another luscious glass and enjoy it with a piquant Parmigiano Reggiano. Quando mangiamo?!

Size:  750ml
Varietal: 100% Sangiovese
Alcohol:  13.5%
Ageing: 3 years in oak, small barriques and large casks
Region:  Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Production: 1,600 dozen