Flaccianello della Pieve 1990

This comes from a very decent vintage, which was fairly hot but also not too precocious. It has an intense garnet colour and an enticing, complex nose, with very evident floral notes and smoky, mineral hints reminiscent of tar and liquorice and suggestions of sour cherry jam. There are tobacco and leather underlying. The flavour is gutsy and vertical, very lively and even youthful, and well sustained by acidity, which dominates the wine’s taste profile. The finish is quite long and restrained.