2004 Solaria Brunello di Montalcino

94 points Wine Spectator: "Plum, cedar and leather aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with a lovely density of ripe fruit and a soft, velvety textured finish. Ripe and beautiful. An opulent wine that opens on the palate. This is the best ever from this estate. Best after 2011." (Web only, 2009) 90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Solaria's 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is a sweet, seamless wine that flows onto the palate in a soft, caressing style. This harmonious, accessible Brunello shows lovely balance, but it is already rather forward and looks to be a relatively early maturing wine. Still, it should deliver plenty of great drinking over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014." (06/09) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate has 2004 as the highest rated Tuscan vintage in the last 25 years, and the Wine Spectator says "2004 Brunello di Montalcino - a classic vintage, wonderfully perfumed and majestically refined." The nose is full of dense, ripe, dark fruit with hints of vanilla. On the palate, the wine shows a dense, focused richness that seems muscled into line, sort of a half-nelson on the flavors forcing them into a linear nature. The wine carries the shadow of structure and power like it's a dark visage struggling to bring forth some cavernous fruit beneath. Powerful and somewhat brooding, this wine will need age a bit to ameliorate the tannins and fulfill its powerful potential. (Greg St. Clair, K&L Italian wine buyer)