BIONDI SANTI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2017

Galestro and clay soils on Montalcino's slopes — among Tuscany's most storied terroir for Sangiovese Grosso — drive the structural backbone that defines Brunello at its most classical. The 2017 vintage brought drought and above-average heat, conditions that pushed early ripeness and concentrated small-berry fruit. Biondi Santi, the estate credited with pioneering Brunello di Montalcino in the 19th century, held the wine's signature acidity and tannin architecture through that difficult growing season. The result opens with fresh cherry and budding complexity, carries silky tannins through the mid-palate, and finishes with a slow, lingering fade.