Listening to nature to make the finest Brunello
2013 Brunello: 'Deep red. Sweet spices, ripe red cherry and Asian herbs on the vibrant nose. Then very clean and fresh in the mouth, offering raspberry, red cherry and coffee flavors that expand and linger nicely on the suave mouthfeel. There is a captivatingly complex, multilayered quality to this very deep, balanced, fleshy wine. One of the year’s best Brunellos. 95 points.' - Ian D'Agata, vinous.com, April 2018
The Sestis are a family at one with nature. Wife (and mother and now grandmother) Sarah, originally from Shropshire, is not only a renowned and published cook, but also a keen beekeeper. When the couple first discovered the Castello di Argiano back in the 1970s, it was abandoned and so overgrown that the buildings weren't even visible but husband Giuseppe ("Giugi") decided it was the perfect spot to study and write his astronomy, and over the ensuing four and a quarter decades, the buildings have been restored and a breathtakingly beautiful home created.
The estate lies in the southwest part of Montalcino, in the Sant'Angelo subzone, where the hot sun is tempered by breezes from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The first vines were planted in 1990 and right from the start, an eco-friendly philosophy was adopted - you must listen to what nature is saying, Giugi stresses. Pioneering attention is paid to lunar cycles, and no herbicides or pesticides are used - and only natural fertiliser. The soils are composed of marine sediment which seems to give the wines energy and minerality.
The estate's benchmark wine is the Brunello. The character of the vineyard shines through, and the wine shows notes of leather and cherry, balsamic and nori - a word that occurs again and again in my notes on this vintage and refers to the saline/marine/seaweed-like aroma in the wines which hints at the zone's marine history. This is a wine that will be approachable on release but will give great pleasure over the next decade. /AR
PS Tuscany suffered another poor olive harvest in 2017 but the Sestis fared remarkable well. Their 2017 oil is superb and we're shipping some in the next few weeks - let us know if you'd like some.
Offered subject to remaining unsold; for shipment 2018/19
