1999 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino, 12-bottle Lot, Cardboard Case

Fanti is a family-owned estate in Montalcino, Tuscany. It has been owned by the San Filippo family since the 18th century, and is today run by Sarrino Fanti, who in 2004 oversaw the construction of a new, state-of-the-art cellar built into a hillside. The 125-acres of vineyards are primarily planted to the Brunello clone of the Sangiovese grape, though the estate in recent years has also planted limited acreage of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Alicante and Trebbiano, which is used for the estate’s white wine. Fanti’s signature wine is its Brunello di Montalcino. The estate produces 200,000 bottles of wine annually.

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.