The 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva may not hit the heights of the remarkable 1997 regular bottling, but it is still a fascinating wine. Its deep garnet color is accompanied by a big, sweet nose of melted asphalt, truffles, soy, tobacco, leather, and glorious quantities of red currant and black cherry fruit. Dense, ripe, layered, and sweet, it may not be as exuberant as the regular bottling, but it is a brilliant effort nevertheless. This is one 1997 Brunello that lives up to the vintage's reputation. Anticipated maturity: now-2015. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700; and Estate Wines, Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411

I would have rated this wine even higher if it had not been for a whiff of lees in the wine's otherwise noteworthy bouquet. The modestly-saturated ruby/garnet color is followed by a big, spicy, smoky, herb, and red fruit-scented nose. This full-bodied, superbly balanced, concentrated wine is soft for a Brunello, high in alcohol, with loads of cedary, tobacco, and curranty-flavored fruit. Approachable, but capable of lasting for 15 more years, this is an impressively rich, spicy, smoky style of Brunello di Montalcino. Importer: a Marc di Grazia Selection, Michael Skurnick Wines, Westbury, NY.