2012 Sesti Brunello di Montalcino

Sesti is an estate in Montalcino, Tuscany, known for its terroir-driven Brunello di Montalcinos. The 22.5-acre estate produces 61,000 bottles annually and is owned by Elisa and Giuseppe Sesti. The hill-top estate is dominated by a 13th century look-out tower used for military purposes by the Republic of Siena during the Middle Ages. The property is actually called Castello di Argiano, a reflection of its one-time military use. Berkeley, California, wine importer and writer Kermit Lynch has noted that the organically-farmed estate is making wines notable for their “vibrancy, freshness and transparency.”

Brunello di Montalcino is regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino is entirely Sangiovese. Montalcino itself is a picturesque, hill-top town not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.