Patrizia Cencioni and her daughters, Annalisa and Arianna, aren’t just good producers, they’re great. Their textbook Brunello is a best in class value every vintage, but the 2021 is a bonafide knockout. Soulful and savory, bright and floral, and effortlessly pretty–this is that rare breed of Sangiovese that is forward and incredibly pleasurable right now, but has all the stuffing and pedigree to age gracefully for another decade or two. 

Winemaker Patrizia Cencioni founded her estate on the northeast flanks of Montalcino in 1989, turning a crumbling property into one of the appellation’s most compelling boutique addresses. The vineyard sits on a high-altitude plateau between roughly 900 and 1,050 feet, where cooling winds from Mount Amiata help temper the warmer Mediterranean influence of this side of Montalcino. That balance gives the wines their lift and poise, while galestro and volcanic soils shape the silky tannin and mineral tension that make the house style so distinctive.

The fruit is forward and pure, with loads of Morello cherry, red plum, forest berries, and a bit of orange peel that is balanced perfectly by savory notes of tobacco, sagebrush, cocoa powder, and meaty, iron-laden minerality. The tannins are firm but integrated, and the medium-full body is never heavy thanks to a classic jolt of Sangiovese acidity on the finish.

Why you'll love it

• This wine is downright delicious and ready to shine.  High-altitude plateau, cooling winds and classic galestro soils. Loads of aromatics. Silky tannins
  

• Outstanding value: concentration and age-worthiness from older-vine Riserva material deliver depth usually found at substantially higher price points in Montalcino.

How to serve it

• Decant up to 60 minutes and serve in large Bordeaux stems at 60–64°F  
  

• Pair with a classic Tuscan steak for perfection. Also mushroom pasta, wild boar stew, braised lamb shanks, and/or anything that you can top with black truffles!