Wine Wednesday: 2005 Tenuta di Sesta Brunello di Montalcino

After the brouhaha over controversial 2004 Brunello di Montalcino (producers were allegedly slipping in some unauthorized varietals to give the wines a boost), a little uneven ripening in the vineyards is a pleasant respite. If nothing else, it's much easier to negotiate. The 2005 vintage was good in Tuscany, if not cooler than usual, with some rain during the summer. This led a number of producers to drop fruit and to be incredibly selective during harvest. In some cases, this meant putting all the best fruit into the a regular Brunello and forgoing a Riserva for the vintage. But in the warmer parts of Tuscany, and the most exposed sites, the wines that resulted are excellent and ageworthy.

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