The fruit of Castello di Argiano
The Sesti estate in the hamlet of Castello di Argiano is a heavenly place, dominated by the silhouette of the ruined tower, replete with woods, wildlife, olive groves and vineyard. When Giuseppe Sesti first arrived here in the early 1970s, winemaking was the last thing on his mind. He wanted a retreat where he could raise a family and continue writing his tomes on astronomy. But after a decade of helping local winemakers with their English, and picking up a huge reservoir of winemaking knowledge in the process, Giuseppe realised he was sitting on prime Brunello land. He planted his first vineyard.
It's an ideal place; a warm spot, where ripening will never be a problem, but with altitude and constant sea breezes to keep the wine fresh and focussed. The sandy, quartz- and clay-rich soils bring an energizing mineral purity to the wine. The winemaking is also informed by Giuseppe's background in astronomy; the Sestis plant, prune and harvest according to lunar cycles. After careful vineyard management come conservative cellar practices; traditional botti lie in cool repose in the castle cellars. Latterly, Giuseppe's daughter Elisa has picked up her father's baton, handling the winemaking with the natural, intuitive confidence of someone who has grown up around it.
Winter 2015/2016 was unprecedentedly mild here - even some normally migratory birds didn't bother to leave. It disappointed Elisa, who we'd been hoping for hard frost to kill off some insects and plant diseases. But in fact, the summer sun would have much the same effect later on. Spring showers launched the growing season, the constant Tyrrhenian winds kept the grapes dry and the nights cool, and summer was hot. It was pretty much a perfect growing season. Elisa enthuses about the beautiful grapes they harvested, and the wine they made: 'a wine full of promise, colours and perfumes'. /NT
'The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino from Sesti pulls you close to the glass, with a display of woodland herbs and strawberries backed by hints of cedar and stone dust. It’s silky and pliant, complemented by bright red fruits and cooling acidity, as inner violet and lavender tones add further depth. Energy remains high through the juicy finale, even as round tannins slowly dry out the expression. This is very nicely balanced and so giving already that it will be hard to keep our hands off long enough to watch it fully mature.' - 94 points, Eric Guido, vinous.com, November 2020
View all 2016 Brunello listed so far
Offered subject to remaining unsold; for shipment Autumn 2021
