Agostina Pieri Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2018, Tuscany, Italy

When Francesco Monaci established this winery, he had no idea of the frenzy his wines would inspire. In only a handful of vintages, his Brunello and Rosso have become some of Montalcino’s most sought-after wines. Sangiovese from a 7 hectare, south-facing hillside in San Angelo in Colle (Montalcino). The southern exposure here gives ripe fruit with rounder tannins than northern parts of Montalcino. The precocious charm of the wine can sometimes hide the underlying structure, but there is plenty of structure for aging. Grapes are harvested by hand and then strictly sorted to eliminate sub-standard fruit. The fermentation takes 25-30 days in vat and stainless steel before racking into large Slovenian oak casks and smaller French oak barriques. Only the finest lots are selected for Brunello.