2015 Argiano Vigna del Suolo Brunello di Montalcino

The nose is intense, showing a stunning mix of spicy cherries in a cloud of licorice, dusty florals, cedar, minerals, and savory herbs. On the palate, velvety textures give way to pure red berry fruits. You’d expect power here, but instead it offers elegance, purity, and an energizing mix of zesty acids, salty minerals, and spice. The 2015 Vigna del Suolo shows its structure through its long, dramatic finish, resonating on depths of spicy red fruits and minerals, with saturating fine tannins lingering long beneath a dark floral topnote. This is one of the few 2015s that I would lose in the cellar for at least five years and then enjoy over the next fifteen.

Single vineyard. Tasted blind. Mid ruby. Earthy, minerally notes on the nose while the fruit is a little subdued. Slow to unfold, and with gorgeous, coating tannins and sappy, concentrated fruit. Elegant palate weight. Could be a classic in the making. (WS)

Here's an exciting addition to the Argiano portfolio. The Suolo vineyard is this estate's highest site (at 300 meters above sea level), and the soils are heavily calcareous in character, imparting cool aromas and freshness. This site is also home to Argiano's oldest Sangiovese vines, now 65 years old. In 2000, Argiano started bottling this fruit as an IGT Toscana wine simply called Suolo, and that wine consistently ranked as one of the most elegant expressions of Sangiovese to come from Montalcino. Starting with this vintage, that fruit is now part of an appellation wine. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Suolo shows the same elegance and crisp, streamlined appeal that we associate with this site. This Brunello shows an upfront and precise level of intensity that is backed by slightly more structured tannin. Its core is packed tight with wild berry, cassis and pretty herbal notes. As the wine takes on more air in the glass, it begins to show delicate layers of spice, smoke and tar. It ages in individually selected 10-hectoliter oak barrels for a long 36 months. What the wine needs now is a few more years of cellar aging.