The Consorzio of Brunello di Montalcino seems very pleased with the 2005 vintage of its most important wine: it bestowed no less than four out of a total of five stars on this vintage, although the growing season proved perhaps a tad too challenging to completely deserve this high accolade. Characterised by a cool beginning, affecting fruit set, it saw a hot and sunny July and August that accelerated the sugar accumulation in the berries. A wet and cool September, however, reversed the trend. While sugar levels were quite high, tannins struggled to ripen. Longer hang time on the vine to compensate for this tended to result in cooked and...