#1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator in 2023 (2018 vintage)
 
96- Points by Kerin O'Keefe. 
Certified Organic. Very Limited!
Ripe berry, blue flower, Mediterranean scrub and wild aromatic herb are just some of the aromas you’ll find on the fantastic 2020 Brunello from Argiano. It’s elegantly structured, full-bodied and delicious, delivering mature Marasca cherry, ripe plum, baking spice and licorice framed in firm, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced.
100% Sangiovese Grosso from soils composed of marl, ancient clay with high-level of limestone aged for about 30 months in Slavonian oak barrels of different capacity.
 
Italy's first DOCG in July 1980, alongside Piedmont's Barolo.
Brunello di Montalcino is a red DOCG Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena, located about 80 km south of Florence, in the Tuscan wine region.
Aging
Brunello: 4-2-4
Brunello Riserva: 5-2-6
Brunello (annata): minimum 4 years of aging, including at least 2 years in wood and at least 4 months in bottle; it can be released starting January 1 of the 5th year after harvest.
Brunello Riserva: minimum 5 years of aging, including at least 2 years in wood and at least 6 months in bottle; release is January 1 of the 6th year after harvest.
Sangiovese Grosso or Prugnolo Gentile (locally Brunello): Noted for having thicker-skinned berries, and because of this, Brunello produces wines with exceptionally bold fruit flavors, high tannin, and high acidity.
 
Argiano
In 1967, Argiano was a founding member of the Brunello Consortium set up to advance and promote the wine region.
Why is this winery so great?
Well first, there’s the property. Their estate is absolutely gorgeous – a magnificent, sprawling estate with magnificent windows, doors, vineyards, you name it. Argiano’s vineyards are located in the Montalicino area where a perfect microclimate assures a super ecological system. There’s also the underground cellar which has been around since the 16th century. It’s picturesque while also maintaining a constant temperature and humidity well away from the noise and light.
According to Anthony Gismondi on Wine (est. 1979), 'The stylistic approach at Argiano prizes elegance above all else. These are real, terroir-driven wines from a winery that has come to understand its terroir in new ways, even after 440 years. It starts, of course, with renowned soil scientist Dr. Pedro Parra. The talented Chilean identified eight unique terroirs at the winery that includes Argiano’s oldest vineyard, now a single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcino labelled Vigna del Suolo.
Then there’s the team. Sebastiano Rosa, the General Manager studied in California before working at Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Sassacaia prior to his hiring. Then there’s probably the most well known winemaker in Italy today, Dr. Giacomo Tachis, who is the oenologist. Ho hum, the only places that he’s worked has been Sassacaia, Tignanello and Solaia, to name a few!!!
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.