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If the 2010 Brunello from Talenti was about sophistication and elegance, the ’10 Brunello Riserva adds a thrumming bassline of brooding notes. Bright, pure red fruits dance on a bed of saddle leather, warm baking spices, umami, truffles, earth and that telltale Montalcino terroir in this darkly beautiful wine. Full-bodied and velvety, this cru Brunello Riserva uncoils on the palate to release a sweet inner perfume, savory minerals, and grippy tannins. It’s a beautifully structured wine that could use some time in the cellar before enjoyment. Crafted only in the best vintages, Talenti’s Pian di Conte Brunello Riserva derives from grapes grown in the estate’s sandy, pebbly five-acre Paretaio vineyard; after fermenting in temperature-controlled stainless steel for 20 to 25 days, the wine matures for 36 months in a combination of tonneaux and botti, followed by refining in bottle for a year before release.

• Country: Italy
• Region: Toscana
• Subregion/Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino

As one of the founding fathers of Brunello di Montalcino, Piero Talenti’s wines have resisted the trend of new wood and jammy extraction as well. Instead, they demonstrate great complexity and finesse rather than simple impact. Now under the hands of Riccardo Talenti the estate has taken on some modernization that has improved the wines without upsetting the family style. The Pian di Conte estate has a wonderful site about 400 meters above sea level opposite the village of Sant'Angelo in Colle. Its vines, head-trained, face south-south-west and yield about a kilogramme and a half per plant. Thanks to this extremely low yield the Talenti label produces excellent wines with annual regularity.