2017 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany 750 ml

We NEVER sit down with Brunello icon Altesino without our checkbook at the ready—and as soon as we tasted their 2017 Brunello di Montalcino, we cut a check for as many bottles as we could get. 

When you taste the gorgeous 2017 Altesino, our very first Brunello from the 2017 vintage, you’ll understand why we didn’t hesitate. This is the latest in a string of home runs from this iconic house, and it’s the definition of Brunello class. Vinous called it “sweetly seductive,” and its 95 point score from James Suckling places it at a height where Altesino’s single-site Montosoli bottling normally dwells.   

Each March, red-wine lovers all over the world stand ready to pounce on the new vintage of Brunello. The fever is always high for Brunello’s marquee producers, and none enjoys a higher place in the pantheon than Altesino. 

Altesino is located in a 14th-century palazzo, but its history as a wine estate goes back just 50 years, making it a baby by Brunello di Montalcino standards. Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini acquired it in 2002, and since then, she and her winemaking team of Simone Giunti and Alessandro Ciacci have staked out a position at the apex of the region, offering a modern and innovative take on one of Italy’s most beloved denominaziones. 

The 2017 vintage posed a challenge for many Brunello producers, but Altesino shone because they sourced fruit from all over the zone. Composed of grapes from their Altesino, Macina, Pianezzine, and Castelnuovo dell’Abate vineyards, their 2017 Brunello di Montalcino brings an elite level of quality, critical acclaim, and collectibility. It’s always one of the great Brunellos, and always represents a must-buy—but the 2017 truly delivers.