Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino 2004

The parish church, or “Pieve”, of Santa Restituta stands on the winery property and gives it its name; the Sugarille vineyard was first recorded in the Pieve’s inventory in 1547. The unique position and soil structure of the Sugarille vineyard–calcareous clay with a gently sloping southern exposure–give this wine an expressive, powerful character. This is a very special terroir, producing outstanding, long-aging single-vineyard Brunello.

Rich, complex aromas of ripe fruit (plums and wild cherries), violets and hints of cloves and tobacco.

Elegant structure and ripe, well-integrated tannins. This wine is normally more austere in youth than Rennina due to the slightly firmer tannic structure; but after 5-7 years, its depth and concentration lead to a complex flavor profile of great balance.

Dark ruby with a narrow orange rim. A lot of oak on the nose but it is beginning to integrate into the fruit. Hints of tobacco leaf. Still a little embryonic and with concentrated but subdued fruit. Tactile fireworks provided by the firm tannins and lifted acidity. Still plenty of time ahead. Walter Speller

Shows aromas of citrus fruit, with raspberry and blackberry. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and silky tannins. Very well-structured, with a hint of new wood on the finish. Long and balanced. Still needs time. The best wine ever from this estate. Best after 2011.