2018 Brunello di Montalcino

Argiano continues to show that their evolution away from small oak barrels and focus on organic farming and soil studies in the vineyards are creating a whole new era for the winery. Today the wines are centered more on purity and terroir while performing at the highest level. Bernardino Sani, manager and winemaker of this estate in Sant'Angelo in Colle, recalled that 2018 presented an extremely wet May and June that forced them to work diligently in the vineyards. The estate also lost about 10% of its production of Rosso and Brunello due to hail in July. Because of less concentration in the juice, the team at Argiano decided not to produce a Riserva, but did make their single vineyard Vigna del Suolo, which is one of the vintage's top wines. When asked about how he dealt with the challenges of the season, Sani responded, “We didn’t force the vintage in the cellar, trying to respect it, and so we avoided over-extraction of tannins and tried to make a Brunello that is balanced, open in the nose and with a good freshness.” They succeeded, especially for this location, which is typically warmer than most of the region. The 2018s from Argiano are unique yet totally thrilling to taste. Also new at Argiano is the first vintage (2019) of the Rosso di Montalcino Vigna del Leccio, hailing from a vineyard planted using massal selection from Vigna del Suolo. However, at this time, the wine will only be available for purchase at the winery and from selected restaurants. Production is just 2,200 bottles, yet that will grow to 1,500 cases in the following vintages. I will report on this wine as soon as I have a chance to taste it.