Four Bottles from the Heart of Tuscany

Brunello di Montalcino is Italy's most celebrated red wine — a single-grape appellation built entirely on Sangiovese, aged a minimum of five years before release, and capable of evolving in the cellar for decades. But within those rules, the range of expression is extraordinary. The four bottles in this collection were chosen by a Master Sommelier to capture that range: a family-farmed estate honoring a grandfather's legacy; a high-altitude, organically farmed expression from one of Montalcino's most exciting rising estates; a benchmark expression from a founding family of the appellation; and a rich, powerful interpretation from a celebrated modern estate. Tasted in this order, they map the full spectrum of what Brunello can be.

Bramante Cosimi, Brunello di Montalcino

"The Family Legacy"

While Montalcino can feel crowded with corporate money, Rudy Cosimi remains as down-to-earth as they come. His family's roots in the region began with his grandfather — for whom this special cuvée is named — a local tractor repairman, and his father, who planted these Sangiovese vines back in nineteen seventy-five when there were fewer than thirty producers in the entire region. Today, Rudy quietly works his land, crafting wines from sandy, fossil-rich soils that stand alongside the most famous bottles in the zone. Drawing incredible depth from fifty-year-old vines, this release opens with expressive aromas of ripe cherries, blood orange, crushed violet petals, and dried Tuscan herbs grounded by a hint of sweet leather. On the palate, it hits that sweet spot of medium-to-full body, balanced by mouth-watering acidity and fine, velvety tannins that sweep into a long, dusty-mineral finish. 

Pair with: Roasted pork loin, tagliatelle with mushroom ragù, or aged Pecorino Toscano.

Le Ragnaie, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

"The High-Altitude Purist"

Le Ragnaie is one of Montalcino's most compelling estates, and Riccardo Campinoti is widely regarded as one of the appellation's finest winemakers. The estate sits at the highest elevations of the Montalcino zone — near the dramatic "Passo del Lume Spento," the Pass of the Extinguished Lantern — where galestro and clay soils and cool mountain winds produce Sangiovese of remarkable purity and tension. Farmed without chemicals and vinified in concrete with indigenous yeasts, the wine is aged thirty-six months in large, neutral Slavonian oak botti — the traditional method that lets the grape, not the wood, do the talking. Wild strawberry, rose petal, dried herbs, and a savory mineral undercurrent unfold on the nose, with polished, powdery tannins and a long, lifted finish. Vinous awarded it ninety-four points and noted its "vibrant fruit and crunchiness" — this is Brunello with energy and precision.

Pair with: Roasted lamb, bistecca alla Fiorentina, wild boar ragù, or aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Livio Sassetti "Pertimali", Brunello di Montalcino

"The Traditional Benchmark"

When seeking a traditionally made Sangiovese from Tuscany's Montalcino district, Sassetti Livio "Pertimali" is at the top of the list. Livio Sassetti was a founding member of the Brunello producers' consortium back in nineteen sixty-seven. His property owns prized southeast-facing parcels on the legendary Montosoli hill — the region's unofficial Grand Cru, famed for its complex, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree exposures and producing wines of incredible precision, elegance, and longevity. This effort unfurls from the glass with a breathtaking perfume of ripe black cherries, blood orange, and dried rose petals, all pinned to a striking, vertical backbone of crushed slate and wild herbs. On the palate, it is pure silk and kinetic energy, balancing deep, dark berry fruits with ultra-refined tannins and a mineral-driven finish that simply refuses to fade.

Pair with: Beef, venison, wild boar, or a selection of aged Tuscan cheeses.

Tenuta Fanti, Brunello di Montalcino "Vallocchio"

"The Powerful Expression"

The Fanti family has been producing wine and olive oil in Montalcino since the early nineteenth century, and their "Vallocchio" bottling represents the pinnacle of their estate. Sourced from their oldest vines planted in the nineteen seventies, this wine is a testament to the power and depth that Sangiovese can achieve in the southern reaches of the appellation. Aged in a combination of French oak barriques and larger Slavonian oak casks, it opens with intense aromas of dark plum, blackberry, and espresso, leading into a full-bodied palate with dense, velvety tannins. The finish is long and resonant, echoing with notes of dark chocolate, tobacco, and ripe dark fruit. This is a bold, generous Brunello that provides a rich and satisfying conclusion to the tasting.

Pair with: Roasted lamb, wild boar, truffle pasta, or a slow-braised short rib.