2004 Italy

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli emerges from the glass with masses of scorched earth, leather, tar, licorice, menthol and dark fruit. The Riserva shows a touch more inner sweetness, richness and depth in its fruit than the regular bottling, plus a bit more French oak as well. For now, the Riserva is quite reticent and requires air, but with time its awesome richness and power come through in spades.

This dark, brooding and authoritative Riserva from Il Poggione is simply gorgeous. Readers who don’t want to pay the premium for the Riserva in 2004 need not worry; I tasted the 2004 regular bottling (twice!) while preparing this article and it is every bit as promising as my review last year suggested. In 2004 the Paganelli vineyard was harvested on the 13th of October, quite late for this estate.

Father and son team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci are on a roll. Il Poggione remains a benchmark property for fine, traditionally made Brunellos capable of ageing exquisitely. I can’t think of too many properties in the world producing wines of this level at these prices with an established track record going back 40+ years. I tasted an extraordinary range of wines at the estate in January 2010, including all of the Brunellos and Riservas in cask from vintages 2005-2009.
Antonio Galloni - Wine Advocate#188 - Apr 2010

The Chambolle-Musigny of Barolo, the village of Castiglione Falletto, blessed with calcareous soils and a warm microclimate, consistently produces some of the most velvety Baroli. None more so than Mauro and Giuseppe Mascarello's Monprivato vineyard: a perfectly exposed limestone sunbed giving the ripest, sweetest, headiest red fruit which will emerge one day into a thing of immense beauty.
David Berry Green, Fine Wine Buyer

The 2004 Guado al Tasso is a wonderful Cabernet based Super-Tuscan from the great Marchesi Antinori. Rich, dark fruit is the immediate sensation here with black fruit from the 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, lifted by hints of liquorice from the 10% Syrah. The reamining 40% is made up of Merlot which gives this wine great elegance and lends a certain softness to the tannins on the finish. A delicious package resulting in a full-bodied, yet elegant wine.
(Chris Pollington - BBR Fine Wine Team)

Almost opaque and still very youthful looking, the nose is still dense and underdeveloped, but gives hints of the greatness to come, with its brooding dark cherry fruit.

The only word to describe this Brunello  wine on the palate is massive; full bodied and spicy, packed with black and red cherry fruit, all tightly wound in a magnificent structure, fine tannins, mouth watering acidity and supporting alcohol, all in perfect balance. This is a monumental wine for the Cellar and will be magnificent in 2012-2014 and drink for a decade or two after that. A serious candidate for the best Ugolaia ever.
(Chris Pollington, Fine Wine Department)

Following up their particularly successful 2003s, Mauro and his son Giuseppe Mascarello have produced a dazzling 2004 Santo Stefano di Perno, a brilliant single-vineyard wine from the iron-rich sandstone and marl soils of Monforte d'Alba. Ribes leaf and sage-scented notes enthral the nose while the palate rings with lift and finesse. Wow!
David Berry Green, Fine Wine Buyer

Youthful colour, mint oil and truffle on the nose with dark cherry fruit. Palate has the characteristic gloss that you expect from Voerzio with the succulent but structured tannic grip and fresh acidity reigning it in beautifully. There are notes of black tea and a sauvage character that adds interest and length to the palate.
Matthew Tipping - Private Account Manager

Isole e Olena's 100% Sangiovese Super-Tuscan is always a delight with its notes of rich, ripe black cherries married to subtle French oak. The 2004 is sublime with great power and structure combining with the lush fruit and spice on the palate. The finish is long and elegant with fine tannins. A great classic for the future.
Chris Pollington - Fine Wine Team

Compared to the satiny texture of Castiglione Falletto’s Rocche dei Rivera vineyard, Serralunga’s Vigna Rionda is all about crunchy fruit intensity, poise and presence!

There’s the hallmark red hue associated with Serralunga’s lofty vineyards; the tighter, sinewy grip that points to nutrient-poor, minerally-rich soils that are seemingly bleached white in the summer sun; the crunchy, tiny red berry energy, pace and persistence from perfect aspect, echoing Burgundy’s finest sites. If it seems aloof then that’s because it is: the village’s top vineyard. Give it time and space in a large decanter and who knows, it might even join the party! Drinking now but will improve/mellow further in bottle.
David Berry Green

Given the tiny size of the estate, all 3 hectares of it, little wonder only 8000 bottles were made of this statuesque wine. Compared to a more sensual wine from Stella's San Giuseppe estate to the south-west, Cerbaiona's high easterly aspect, combined with a hands-off traditional botte approach, makes for a profoundly structured, cool compact yet oh so suave black cherry, licorice, & wild herb compote that will take years to unravel; expect to drink from 2014 onwards. Montalcino's finest? We think so.

To Manuel Marchetti his 2004s Barolos remind him of 2001 or 1999, either way both excellent vintages for his pair of single vineyard wines. La Serra perches vertiginously below the walls of La Morra, Barolo's highest village lying directly across the valley from Monforte d'Alba. Compared to its sibling Brunate, La Serra's sandy marl soils and 13 year-old vines consistently deliver a more ethereal fruit character: the rich, taut black-strap molasses, floral, black cherry-stone conjures up visions of greatness, confirmed by a magnificent presence, sinewy, savoury & serious.
David Berry Green, Fine Wine Buyer

Marinella's finest wine, drawn predominantly from the single 'Macie' vineyard, fermented in large oak and aged for three years in 1500 litre french oak, the stunning 2004 shows both richness as well as precision. The nose evokes a rich brew of rum and raisin chocolate, and of herbs, while the palate is stunningly pure as well as decadent, seductively textured, finely wrapped for another 10 years ageing, so best drunk from 2010 till 2020. Try with goose.
(David Berry Green)

A beguiling nose of baked brioche and dried fruits (freshly made rum babas come to mind.) An impressive, rich palate follows brimming with notes of fennel, liquorice, prunes and bitter chocolate. A simply delightful, lingering finish dominated by smoky morello cherry and sweet cinnamon spice. Try it with a rare venison steak at dinner and you’ll sleep very well.
(Nicola Gilbert - London Shop Sales - 25 Jan 2010)

The nail-biting is over: Stella's debut Brunello di Montalcino has finally arrived! It's certainly been worth the wait. She's captured the essence of the vintage, a great one across all of central & northern Italy, while drawing on the panoramic and biodynamic beauty of her Castelnuovo dell'Abate vineyard. A full yet fine roast coffee, briary fruit freshness of this 100% Sangiovese Grosso/Brunello wine delights the nose; compact yet generous at the same time. One's struck by the wine's suaveness, the melting tannins, the gorgeous generosity of this clove, coffee bean and brambly Brunello; the biodynamics clearly weaving its magic in keeping whole experience deliciosuly fresh. To match with game ideally, drinking from 2010 till 2020, preferably with decanting.
David Berry Green, Fine Wine Buyer

Lightish crimson. Very flattering on the nose. Rich and aromatic, with a hint of black fruits. Firm on the palate. This should have a good future. Long. 
Jancis Robinson MW - jancisrobinson.com

Bought straight from Punset’s cantina overlooking Neive, Marina’s 2004 Barbaresco San Cristoforo ‘Campo Quadro’ perfectly reflects this classic, slow-developing Nebbiolo vintage. It was a textbook season, coming after the baked 2003, with rain at regular intervals, giving classically ‘shaped’ Barbareschi and Baroli.

As you would hope this wine, the top of her range, commands a wonderful presence, with delicate tea leaf and almost iron-like depth. Clos de Vougeot-esque? It’s certainly very assured, complete, with a deep garnet colour, and generous with constant, savoury, salato (salty) red fruit. Very impressive, with beef. 
David Berry Green

To many Maria-Teresa's Barolo represents the model of great, traditionally-made Barolo; Compared to the 2003, there's a darker hue and fuller, darker, more sensual expression of mulberry like fruit, pepped up by definite kirsch highlights on the nose. The palate is a staggering display of restraint, tiny red berried fruit, the silkiest of tannic structures, compact yet at the same time so serene. What a joy to behold.. Best drunk from 2014.
(David Berry Green )