Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino 2017 75cl

Pian delle Vigne is a textbook example of one of Italy's most important wines, Brunello di Montalcino. The nose reflects the fact that this is the warmest subregion in Tuscany, with layers of espresso, balsamic, dark chocolate and dried herbs joining a core of ripe red fruit. The palate expression is one of controlled power, with assertive but well-rounded tannins, a mid-palate upon which layers of complexity unfurl, and a seriously long finish.

Marchesi Antinori purchased the Pian delle Vigne estate in 1995, and set about making a traditional expression of this most vaunted of Italy's red wines, with the same attention to detail that one expects from a wine from the Antinori stable. Ageing is carried out in very large wooden barrels - 30 to 80 hectolitres - for two years before bottling.