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{ SOMMjournal.com } 53 most impressive wines, look for 2004, 2006, 2007 and, best of all, 2010. The cur- rent release, 2010, is the greatest vintage I have ever tasted of this wine. It is the vintage that should banish the doubters who have shrugged and said Brunello just isn't that special. These 2010s prove that in a near perfect growing season Brunello can produce near perfect wines. Here are some tasting notes from this magnificent vintage, most of them tasted at the Benvenuto Brunello event in San Francisco in January. Note that, unlike some other much-touted "great" wines, Brunello is still very reasonably priced. The most expensive wines on this list are $85 and there are many around the $50 level. Stock up. Belpoggio 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($60) Lush plummy nose; smooth and juicy with rich cherry and plum with lovely nuances of violets, smoke and spice; long and balanced; give it time. 92 WINE WORLDWIDE, INC. Capanna 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($48) Lush and spicy nose; dense, smooth and deep with lovely cassis and straw- berry; nicely balanced, intense and juicy; rich and long. 93 MARTIN SCOTT WINES Caprili 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($50) Lush nose; dense and meaty with earthy notes; ripe and smooth; seamless with rich blackberry and spice. 93 SELECTED ESTATES OF EUROPE Castello Banfi 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($65) Smooth and rich, dense and lush with spice, deep and mature rasp- berry, plum and fig; polished, ripe and soft with power and finesse. 92 BANFI VINTNERS Castello Banfi 2010 Poggio alle Mura, Brunello di Montalcino ($85) Rich, concentrated and complete with power, depth and gorgeous complexity; blackberry, cassis, licorice and exotic spice with a core of lovely acidity; this is a mas- terful wine; give it time. 95 BANFI VINTNERS Col d'Orcia 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($55) Smooth and juicy nose; silky, crisp and floral; fresh and lively, tangy and balanced with herbs; elegant and rich, lush and long; deep with notes of licorice and spice; needs time. 90 PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL Le Chiuse 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($60) Deep, dense and ripe; meaty, long and balanced with blackberry and plum fruit; intense and complex. 93 FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Le Macioche 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($85) Herbal and light; simple and smooth with some dense texture and a long finish. 88 TRADIZIONE IMPORTS Lisini 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($45) Dark and smooth with floral notes, cherry and lots of spice; supple, juicy, com- plex and long with mineral notes. 92 EMPSON USA Marchesi de' Frescobaldi 2010 Castel Giocondo Brunello di Montalcino ($79) Bright and silky with juicy red fruit, spice and notes of leather and earth; tangy, exuberant and generous; fresh and lively, long and balanced. 93 FOLIO FINE WINE PARTNERS Pinino 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($60) Lighter color ; juicy, silky and crisp; soft and balanced with racy acidity and lovely fruit; long and complex; give it time. 91GUARACHI WINE PARTNERS Il Poggione 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($85) Toasty and deep; amazingly complex, smooth, lush, juicy, lively; a remarkable achievement with spice, violets and smoke; bal- anced, beautifully structured and long. 97 TERLATO WINES Sassetti Livio Pertimali 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($65) Earthy, dense, gener- ous and spicy, smooth and long with cherry, plum and mineral notes;complex and long. 94 MASSANOIS IMPORTS Tassi 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($40) Dark with a juicy raspberry nose; racy, smooth and balanced; elegant, lush and long with spice and hints of chocolate; balanced and complex. 93 WINEBOW Tenuta Caparzo 2010 Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, Brunello di Montalcino ($48) Smooth and generous with ripe cherry and black raspberry and notes of earth and spice; long and seamless, complex and deep. 91 VINEYARD BRANDS Tenuta di Collosorbo 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($50) Dense, lush, and smooth with notes of blackberry, plum, leather and spice; ripe and soft; balanced, clean and long with bright acidity. 92 ELITE WINES Tenuta San Giorgio 2010 Ugolforte Brunello di Montalcino ($60) Medium weight but intense; juicy, complex and racy; long and elegant with ripe berries, violets and earth; complex and long. 93 JACKSON FAMILY WINES Uccelliera 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($50) This is an exquisite, dark wine with a rich fruit and spice nose; intense, con- centrated cherry and berry fruit; long and juicy; complex and deep with smoke and spice; great now but with limitless aging potential. 97 MARC DE GRAZIA Villa Le Prata 2010 Brunello di Montalcino ($60) Bright, crisp and racy; tangy, edgy and silky with cherry fruit and soft herbs; long and balanced. 91 VINITY WINE COMPANY PHOTO: FISFRA/THINKSTOCK