2015 Piancornello Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Tuscany 750 ml

The story of the 2015 Piancornello Brunello di Montalcino is simple: In a vintage where absolutely everything goes right, the cream of the crop rises to extraordinary heights. 

This is a vintage-defining wine from an iconic producer renowned for tiptoeing the line between the modern and the traditional; a pioneer in organic viticulture located on the southernmost tip of Montalcino, where the vines receive extra sunshine, yielding Brunellos of elegance, energy, and generosity, and a wine we are absolutely thrilled to share with you today.

While the Piancornello is drinking gorgeously today, this beauty has the structure to cellar for 20 years if you please. It’s a multifaceted, multidimensional gem that we went all in on to secure the best price in the nation. It’s the kind of wine we love here at Wine Access because it not only exceeds the expectations set by its price, but reminds us why we fell in love with wine in the first place: Great bottles like this one have the power to transport you to Italy’s sun-kissed slopes, direct from the dinner table or the couch, or just about anywhere.

In the glass, the 2015 Piancornello Brunello di Montalcino is bright and ruby-flecked, with garnet and burnt orange around the rim. The nose is wildly aromatic. As James Suckling wrote in his 95-point review, “There’s a cascade of dried florals here, ranging from rose petals to lilacs; the glazed strawberries and cherries are equally intense.” 

All of this sets owner and winemaker Claudio Monaci’s Piancornello apart, even amongst the greatest 2015s—a masterpiece among masterpieces. Being able to offer it at the best price in the nation is the cherry on top.

Where traditionally made Brunellos might be more angular and lean, even rigid, in the early going, this is filled out, full-bodied and luscious right now, with what Suckling describes as “so much power and ripeness.” And yet, this is no fruit bomb, but retains the elegance and sophistication of classic Brunello in its “savory, stony flavor and texture that permeates the whole package.”

All of this exquisite brilliance began in the vineyard. “Fruit has never been more beautiful than it was in the picture-perfect 2015 vintage,” wrote Wine Advocate, which awarded a 97-point vintage score to the 2015 Brunellos. Before the growing season began, winter rains filled up water tables providing reserves for the months that followed. Veraison began two weeks early, allowing Sangiovese extra time to ripen on the vine. Though the summer was hot and dry, dramatic diurnal temperature shifts and perfectly timed showers cooled the grapes when they most needed it, maintaining vibrant acidity. At Monaci’s organically farmed 50-acre estate on the mineral-rich hill also known as Piancornello, the grapes were some of the finest he’d ever seen. 

The skilled Monaci, who learned the craft of winemaking from his parents and grandparents before him, then went to work in the cellar. His specific aging regimen, in which the wine spends 12 months in barrel and then another two years in large Slavonian oak casks, is a mix of modern and traditional techniques, adding just enough softness and polish to make the wine approachable now while retaining its noble, ageworthy structure. 

Today we have just 28 cases to share, so don’t miss your chance to stock up on a masterpiece that will delight for the next two decades.