Sesti: an estate born of romance, science and chance

On the face of it, it seems extraordinary that someone would buy a 102 hectare estate encompassing some prime Montalcino land because it looked like a great place to bring up a family and write books. Having learnt a great deal about wine-growing, Giuseppe Sesti eventually began to plant what is now the 15 hectares of vineyard. He farms quasi-biodynamically, though as a professional astronomer has a quibble over the accuracy of the calendar these days and so can't be certified.

His land is naturally warm, on a great piece of the Sant'Angelo vineyard, so ripening isn't a problem, and his 350 metres of altitude keeps everything fresh and focussed. Soils are sand and quartz with a tiny bit of light clay so the land is free draining and ideal terroir for the particular strain of Brunello gathered by massal selection from the neighbouring Il Poggione estate. Wine making is slow and gentle, using only large botti and all the cellar jobs are done on a waning moon to help drastically reduce the need to fine or filter as well as cut the amount of sulphites necessary.

No herbicides or pesticides or other than compost fertiliser is used on this precious land and the use of sulphites is kept to an absolute minimum. A great test of any producer is the wine they make in the worst years and Sesti has consistently outperformed. In a great year like 2010 the wine is luminous and complex; it will benefit greatly from a couple of years lying low. /CW

Offered subject to remaining unsold for shipment spring 2015

'Sesti's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of real class and personality. In fact, the 2010 is one of the best wines I have tasted from this estate in Sant'Angelo in Colle. Iron, sweet red cherries, wild flowers and earthiness are some of the many notes that inform a juicy, plump Brunello that already drinks well. The 2010 is quite forward and fruit-driven, but there is good underlying complexity as well as enough acidity to ensure a decade-plus of fine drinking. My only quibble is that the aromatics could be a little more focused, but that is a relatively small critique for a wine that delivers this much pleasure. Drink 2016-2030. 94 points.' - Antonio Galloni, vinousmedia.com, Feb 2015