2013 San Giorgio Ugolforte Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Tuscany 750 ml

We love Brunello di Montalcino so much that we don’t mind paying for excellence—especially when it achieves, as this standout 2013 San Giorgio does, a lithe, almost Burgundian elegance. By the same token, we’re all the more incentivized to sniff out and hunt down the region’s very best deals, like a hungry pig to the truffles.

Wine Spectator awarded it 94 points, lauding the “elegant, focused style” and ranking it alongside Poggio San Polo and Castello Banfi in the 2013 vintage. Those bottles cost $200 and $250, respectively.

A brilliant attack of tart red fruit, light-bodied yet with a firm tannic grip, dusted with sandalwood and exotic spice, finishing smooth, pure, and restrained… you don’t get tasting notes like this in a Brunello di Montalcino unless someone has shelled out some serious bucks. Except today, when it can be had for less than $50.

“This is an exciting property to watch,” says Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate of Tenuta San Giorgio. That’s because in recent years the estate has come under the leadership of Claudio Tipa, who operates one of Brunello’s benchmark estates, well-known among Tuscan collectors: Poggio di Sotto.

The properties, which border each other, both sit inside the highly regarded Castelnuovo dell’Abate area of Montalcino. It was on a trip through this area that we first tasted San Giorgio’s masterful Brunello years ago, paired with a dish of braised local wild boar shanks. It was an unforgettable pairing that left us wondering how Sangiovese could be so dense yet nearly ethereal, outlined by scintillating acidity, and set us on the path to scoring this fantastic deal.

Vinous has described Poggio di Sotto (which runs to $300) as “blessed with truly outstanding Sangiovese terroir.” San Giorgio shares in that gorgeous terroir but, at least for now, the excellence can be had for a cut-rate price.

Originally founded in 1985, San Giorgio holds 14 acres of Brunello vineyards at the top of the hill. At 1,300 feet above sea level, the winds are nearly constant, and often strong enough to blow the hat off your head. All that fresh Mediterranean air cleanses 40-year-old vines whose fruit has grown rich and concentrated with the plant’s age. Decomposed seashells and clay define the soils, making for wines of finesse and mineral nuance.

Aging in 30% new French barriques allows the trademark tannins to loosen slightly as dried raspberry, leather, and rose petals come to the fore. Under-$50 94-point Brunello deals like this one truly don’t come along often, so we recommend stocking up. And for the pairing of a lifetime, see if you can track down some wild boar.