Posts in Brunello Vintage Guide
2019 Brunellos: The Most Exciting Vintage Since 2010

I first visited Montalcino in the summer of 1982. It was scorchingly hot when I arrived at the Fattoria dei Barbi, and upon entry to the cellar, there was a unique calmness—ok coolness as well—it was a serene silence among barrels of a size I’d never seen before. The 1982 vintage turned out to be a great year for Brunello di Montalcino and marked the beginning of Brunello di Montalcino’s entrance on the world stage as a wine to be reckoned with.

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Benvenuto to Our Excellent Stash of Brunello

Today’s newsletter is an ode to a region that lies in the heart of Italy, a place that earned our Italian buyer Greg St. Clair the unofficial title of Mayor of Montalcino: Tuscany. Home of Dante, villas on rolling hills, and Greg’s favorite grape (Sangiovese!), it is also home to one of the world’s most undeniably special wines, Brunello di Montalcino, which, in a superior vintage like 2015, reaches the greatest heights Sangiovese can offer.

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John's Master Class: 2015 Brunello di Montalcino

What is it that makes Brunello di Montalcino so incredibly special? If you are a fan of Italian wine, you’ve probably heard K&L and critics alike rave about the 2015 vintage, and maybe you’re ready to learn more. We asked one of our Italian experts, John Downing, to give us the lowdown on the vintage, the region, and some of his favorites. This is a deep dive for the Brunello lover, or even just the Brunello curious.

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100-Point Brunello from One of Italy's Best Winemakers

Carlo Ferrini is well-beloved in Italian wine as a consultant, racking up several prestigious “Winemaker of the Year” awards for his work with wineries from Piedmont to Sicily. He lets his own small Brunello winery, Giodo, fly under the radar so as not to steal the spotlight from his clients, but his wines are truly exceptional. They are the work of a master with decades of experience, and they will be a beacon for any Brunello lover.

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The Art of Brunello from Castello Romitorio

Artist Sandro Chia’s Montalcino estate Castello Romitorio has produced an exceptional bottling in the 2015 vintage. His son Filippo, who’s been working side by side with Sandro since 2005, reflects on the confluence of forces that made this such a special year for them, now 36 years since they first came to this historic site.

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A Stand Out in an Outstanding Vintage: San Filippo's 2015 Brunellos

When a wine scores 100 points in a vintage full of absolutely mesmerizing wines, we take notice! Roberto Giannelli’s 2015 San Filippo “Le Lucere” Brunello is a knockout. In this interview, he talks about perfect wines, perfect weather, and everything in between.

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The Italian Newsletter: Forza, Italia! We Love You.

We plan our newsletter schedule months in advance, and, as such, could not have anticipated the unprecedented challenges the coronavirus has presented. This holds especially true for our friends in Italy. There is no guidebook on how best to approach situations such as this, so we huddled together to determine the best path forward. Do we continue with our plan to highlight the wines of Italy as scheduled or hold off for another day? Ultimately, we decided the best way we can assist our friends abroad was to continue as planned. Now feels like the perfect time to rally around one of the greatest winemaking countries of the world and celebrate the ties that everybody feels at a moment like this. Please join us as we highlight the wines of this remarkable region and the committed folks who make them possible.

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Another Brunello di Montalcino Vintage of the Century!

Greg St. Clair isn’t called the “Mayor of Montalcino” for nothing! He’s been specializing in this Italian wine region since 1982, and he’s declaring the 2015 vintage to be an exceptional one. Make room in your cellars, folks!

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