Brunello di Montalcino

Even in Brunello, whose terroir can yield the most powerful expression of the variety, Sangiovese’s savory depths are best delivered via a shining beam of acidity, only dark and burly when bullied into such a state. Luigi Anania's wines embody the grace Sangiovese can carry when treated with respect, particularly when grown in vineyards of notable altitude like La Torre’s. The cellar methods here are tried-and-true: hand-harvested grapes ferment spontaneously in steel without temperature regulation, with pump-overs employed rather than punch-downs to ensure a gentler extraction; and the wines spend four full years in large, well-worn Slavonian oak casks with minimal racking. It’s a simple formula that yields wines of great complexity.