Flaccianello della Pieve 2007

This was a uniformly hot year, but without any sudden excessive rises in temperature, and the harvest was early. This is a very rich but nonetheless delicious Flaccianello, which is almost exotic in style. The colour is a very intense and concentrated ruby. The nose is broad and ethereal, with spicy and balsamic notes alongside the more usual ones of sour cherries and sweet violets. It is full-bodied and rich on the palate, with abundant tannins subdued by loads of alcohol and glycerine (for the first time, it has 15% alcohol by volume). This is a huge, monumental wine, but one that is well-balanced and pleasant to drink. The finish is very long and warming.