Luce is a relatively new name in the world of Brunello di Montalcino. So it came as a surprise to some to see it received a perfect 100-point score in my blind tastings in Tuscany. The fabulous 2006 Luce is only the fourth Brunello from the winery of Luce della

La Serena is typical of many of the up-and-coming family-run wine estates in Montalcino. For years, the winery sold grapes to various other producers such as Barbi, but in the last decade the youngest son Andrea Mantengoli of La Serena took over the helm of the property and renovated everything

Roberto Guerrini runs the family estate of Fuligni, consistently one of the top names in Brunello di Montalcino. I first met Robert in the early 1990s after tasting his amazing 1988 Brunello. I had to find out why he made such compelling reds, which always seem to have an amazing

The 2006 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino is the new benchmark for this famous Tuscan appellation and the Sangiovese grape. I can’t think of a better expression of Tuscan wines than the best 2006 Brunello di Montalcinos. What excites me about the wines is their metamorphic character. They seem to

L’annata 2006 per il Brunello di Montalcino è il nuovo benchmark per questa famosa Denominazione toscana e per il Sangiovese. Non riesco a pensare che possa esistere un’espressione dei vini toscani migliore di quella che danno i più significativi Brunello del 2006.    Quello che maggiormente mi entusiasma nei vini è

After tasting close to 140 Brunello di Montalcinos in Tuscany from the heralded 2006 vintage, I set out with director James Orr to find out why the vintage was so great. I wanted to know more than what was simply in the glass. I interviewed wine producers in their cellars and

Valdicava’s Madonna del Piano is one of the best single vineyard Brunello di Montalcinos made year in and year out. It comprises about 19.5 acres in total. Owner Vincenzo Abbruzzese divides the vineyard into four parts: the old vines, Pievecchina, Pratea and Sferracavallo. He harvests them at different times, and

Vincenzo Abbruzzese, the owner of Valdicava, is one of the best grape growers in Italy, but he is making his name at his 67-acre vineyard estate about 20 minutes north of Montalcino. His Brunello di Montalcinos are some of the most soulful and enticing wines from the region and consistently

The 2005 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino is never going to be considered an outstanding year. The wet weather during the last part of the growing season as well as intermittent rain during the harvest denigrated the quality of the wines. This said, it’s possible to find a number of