2019 Tenuta Vitanza Tradizione Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

We’re fairly certain Vitanza is the only wine we know that’s made by a philosophy teacher and an aerospace engineer. In 1994, Dr. Rosalba Vitanza took a break from Hegel and Kant for a romantic weekend escape to Montalcino with her husband, Guido Andretta, who ran an aerospace-consulting business.

They fell in love with the area and ended up buying a beautiful property there that included four acres of vines. Vitanza decided to use the grapes from those vines to make wine for family and friends—humble beginnings that ultimately led to the creation of their own winery, which sits in one of the warmest sub-regions of Montalcino. 

Expert winemaking acumen—married to that terroir—has allowed the winery to steadily, though quietly, rack up accolades ever since. Multiple Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso—Italy’s highest honor—plus international acclaim from the likes of Suckling and Decanter confirm what the estate is capable of.

The 2019 vintage is already being hailed as a modern classic in Brunello: It produced wines with beautiful concentration and intensity and an aristocratic sense of poise. A rainy spring teed up the vines for the summer, which turned out hot and dry, but without any vine-stressing heat spikes. Compared to recent years past—when temps topped 104 degrees—July was relatively mild, with some mid-month showers (and a few in August) providing some relief. 

A warm September put the grapes on a glide path to harvest, and by the time the call came to pick, vintners were dancing the Tarantella. With 5/5 stars from Decanter, 98 points from Wine Spectator, and praise from every corner of the wine world, the vintage is being feted as a modern classic.