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1998 Brunello di Montalcino MAGNUM
SestiThere is nothing quite like a great bottle of Brunello when it is ripe for the picking. There are so many Brunelli out there to choose from these days. We think this is one of the very best, and it never disappoints. Proprietor Giuseppe Sesti, an astronomer from Venice who has been deeply involved in his own blend of organic/biodynamic/cosmic viticulture ever since he purchased his estate in the seventies, explained the secret of his land to me recently: “The ancients talked of the aria buona di Argiano [good air of Argiano]. The castello is perched on a promontory surrounded by two valleys that channel cooling winds from the Mediterranean up to the vineyards, keeping the vines cool throughout the summer despite the sometimes scorching heat.” This is one of the most important keys to the perennial freshness of Sesti’s Brunello: with wine—as in real estate—location, location, location.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 1998 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sangiovese |
Appellation: | Brunello di Montalcino |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Tuscany |
Producer: | Sesti |
Vineyard: | 20 years, 3.9 ha total Brunello |
Soil: | Oceanic Sediment |
Aging: | Thirty-nine months of élevage in 30-hectoliter oak botti |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2016 Brunello di Montalcino
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The Riserva is rich and savory, with intense flavors; bright, tightly wound mid-palate; vigorously youthful. It will continue to improve with more time in bottle.
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All the depth, concentration, and intensity imaginable are densely packed into a tight, firm, chewy package.
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2017 Brunello di Montalcino
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The regal perfume is both sweet and savory, with ripe berry fruit accented by balmy herbs and earthy wafts of incense.
2018 Brunello di Montalcino
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Ample, deep, and succulent, this enthralling Brunello is already highly rewarding.
About The Producer
Sesti
About The Region
Tuscany
Perhaps no region is tied to Italy’s reputation as a producer of fine wine as much as Tuscany. Since Etruscan times, viticulture has played a prominent role in this idyllic land of rolling hills, and the Tuscan winemaking tradition remains as strong as ever today. With a favorable Mediterranean climate, an undulating topography offering countless altitudes and expositions, and a wealth of poor, well-draining soils, conditions are ideal for crafting high-quality wines. Add to that the rich gastronomical tradition—Tuscany is home to some of the country’s finest game, pastas, salumi, and cheeses—and you have the blueprint for a world-class wine region.
This is Sangiovese territory; in fact, it is arguably the only place in the world where Sangiovese reaches a truly regal expression. In spite of a rocky history with fluctuations in quality, traditionally produced Chianti has reclaimed its status as one of the country’s most reliable, food-friendly reds, while the rapid rise of Brunello di Montalcino shows the grape’s potential for grandiose, opulent reds allying power and finesse. Traditionally-minded growers have stuck to using only indigenous grape varieties and employing techniques like aging in massive wooden casks known as botti, creating wines of terroir that shine at the Tuscan table.
Tuscan wines have had a place in our portfolio since Kermit’s first visit in 1977. While the names of the estates have changed, the spirit of those first unfiltered Chiantis he imported live on through our current selections.
More from Tuscany or Italy
2017 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Phenomena”
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2016 Brunello di Montalcino
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2017 Chianti Classico Riserva “Terrazze”
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2019 Toscana Rosso
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2018 Toscana Rosso
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2020 Rosso di Montalcino
Ferretti Italy | Tuscany
2021 Toscana Rosso “Bandinello”
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2018 Chianti Classico Riserva
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2021 Rosso di Montalcino
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch