The Villa le Prata 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is quite lovely in that it takes the heat of the vintage to shape soft and elegantly sweetened fruit. There is no heaviness here, or over-ripeness, but this vintage of Brunello does embrace summer cherry, black plum and candied almond or chestnut. Those lush layers of fruit lift to reveal fresh acidity and tight tannins that could withstand a healthy number of cellar years. Villa le Prata is an estate that is coming to age in terrific fashion. Production is 10,000 bottles.

The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino offers a classic interpretation of Sangiovese. The wine displays a dark crimson color with subtle ruby highlights. Dried berry, tobacco, pressed flower and pencil shavings are some of the principal components of the bouquet. You feel a pinch of tannic firmness and fresh acidity on the close. Villa le Prata makes 12,500 of this attractive base Brunello.

The Villa le Prata 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is a smooth and steady red wine that emits clean pulses of dried cherry, wild berry, dark spice and savory tobacco. The wine does a good job of underlining those aromas that are so true to Sangiovese. That sense of purity and generosity continues to the palate where the wine shows silky tannins and balanced acidity.

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino shows smooth lines and a curvaceous figure. Soft aromas of cherry, Spanish cedar, licorice, dried rosemary and roasted almond rise from the bouquet. I tried this wine during two phases, once shortly after the bottle was opened and a second time 24 hours later. The evolution and softening of the wine was remarkable and is very encouraging in terms of its potential longevity. Yet, you never lose sight of that characteristic Sangiovese tartness and freshness. Drink this elegant Brunello after 2017.