Sesti Brunello Di Montalcino 2018 750 ML

When Giuseppe and Sarah Sesti moved to Tuscany in the 1970s, they settled not in Florence or Siena, but among the abandoned ruins of the medieval Castello di Argiano outside of sleepy Montalcino at the region’s southern end. In the half-century since, they have restored the castle and overgrown land, reviving this magnificent estate in all its glory and turning it into one of the most respected sources of Brunello di Montalcino.

It might be hard to understand how this stunning hillside castle and the surrounding woodland could have fallen into such neglect, but its prior abandonment turned out to be a blessing in disguise: the slopes Giuseppe and Sarah eventually planted to vines were home to a relatively untouched and thriving ecosystem, rich with native plant and animal life. And fortunately for the health of the soil and ecosystem, they were exactly the right people to take over this corner of paradise. Giuseppe’s background as an astronomer gave him a naturalist bent and a healthy skepticism of chemical treatment in the vines. It also allowed him to apply his knowledge of the moon’s influence on living things to his vineyard management and practices in the cellar—a methodology that is increasingly common today. This 2018 Brunello di Montalcino stands as a gorgeous testament to the Sesti family’s half-century of stewardship of this land. Ample, deep, and succulent, this enthralling Brunello is already highly rewarding.