Violet, underbrush, new leather and tobacco mingle with balsamic notes of camphor on the 2021 Brunello La Casaccia. Big and bold but showing elegant restraint, the palate features black cherry, licorice, tobacco and crushed mint set against a backbone of close-grained tannins and tangy acidity. (KO)

Aromas of grilled citrus, earth, berries, iron, dried bay leaves and plums. Supple and firm, with very good intensity and a traditional sensibility. Not showy, rather reserved and powerful, with fine, dissolved tannins and a nice, glycerol-rounded sweetness. Juicy and structured. Drink from 2027.

The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia is exotic in the glass, with a spice-box bouquet that combines cedar dust, spiced orange peels, dried strawberries and hints of mint. It's surprisingly energetic and fleshy, with a solid core of ripe wild berry fruits underscored by tactile mineral tones. Tantalizing acidity imparts further liveliness. It firms up through the finish, leaving steely minerality to meet a tart blackberry twang and nuanced tannins. The 2021 is youthfully compact and geared for the cellar. (EG)