John Downing is K&L's Italian Liaison for our Hollywood store. What that means is that he lives and breathes Italian wine. We put his encyclopedic knowledge of the region to use in a series of interviews about the 2015 vintage in Montalcino. In the first, he talks specifically about the 2015 vintage—why everyone is raving about it and what do you need to know?

John Downing is K&L's Italian Liaison for our Hollywood store. What that means is that he lives and breathes Italian wine. We put his encyclopedic knowledge ...

In Part 2, John highlights two standouts from the vintage (below), and then engages in a Q&A with me about what makes the region so special. A few pairing ideas and a bit of history make their way into the conversation, too.

2015 Castelli Martinozzi $39.99
2015 Costanti $94.99

In Part 3, John picks out six of his favorite bottles from the vintage. You can learn about the different styles of each estate, and a bit of background on the people behind the bottles. Here’s the Cliff Notes list of wines:

And in Part 4, John talks about what makes Montalcino and its Sangiovese so very special, the stuff of collectors’ dreams? He digs into what's at play in a bottle of Brunello.

We’re pretty jazzed on these wines, and will be bringing you additional picks and guideposts for finding the Brunelli that are right for you!

- Kate Soto