If Barolo is the king of wines, Brunello could be called the prince. With a much more recent history than Barolo, Brunello has grown up quickly. While the notion of subzones and crus is much less developed here than in Barolo, there is movement and interest. The Castello di Argiano, where father and daughter Giuseppe and Elisa Sesti manage their eponymous estate, is one such zone to pay close attention to. Located in the southern portion of the Brunello denominazione, the warm days are balanced by cooling ocean breezes due to their fortuitous hillside location at more than 1000 feet above sea level. The “good air of Argiano” has been a known fact passed down through oral tradition for many, many generations of civilization. This, coupled with the fertility of their vineyards full of oceanic sediment and their farming practices that borrow from biodynamics, produce gorgeous grapes—the foundation, of course, of all great wine.
    Their vineyards are a striking sight and never fail to impress with their vibrant energy. They are downright pampered, and I swear you can taste their vines' happiness in their wines. The Sestis’ traditional method in the cellar of employing only older, oval botti for the aging further refines their Brunello, while its youthful freshness and vigor is maintained. Here is a majestic Sangiovese from the Sestis from the stellar 2008 vintage that now, eight years later, is beginning to reveal itself as a wine of power, subtlety, and grace. Enjoy it today? Absolutely. Age for another ten years? Only if you can keep your hands off it. —Dixon Brooke

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