2012 San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva La Lucere DOCG 750 ml

The most memorable wine experiences come out of nowhere, and San Filippo’s 98-point 2012 Riserva Le Lucére Brunello was one of them. 

A quest for the perfect steak had landed us at the brick-walled hotspot Osteria dell’Enoteca in Florence, where we selected a bottle and left it in the hands of the server to decant while our mouths watered in anticipation of the massive Tuscan steaks that were to come. But it was the wine that stole the show: the single-vineyard 2012 San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Le Lucére, a wine every bit as luscious and concentrated as it first appeared in the glass.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate praised this release, calling it “a Big Brunello with two capital Bs.” James Suckling likewise gushed over Le Lucére’s “outstanding depth of fruit,” and the “lovely balance” provided by the wine’s driving acidity and firm but well-integrated tannins. We perfectly understood the sentiment when Suckling summed the 98-point Riserva Le Lucére up with one word: “Wow.”

As the last drop was poured from the decanter, our craving for more of this stunning Brunello di Montalcino Riserva soared, prompting us to reach out to owner Roberto Giannelli soon after. But we aren’t the only ones clamoring for this impeccable bottle; we could only persuade him to send a few bottles of this extremely limited bottling for our members, all of which arrived directly from the estate.

Vinified from a selection of the best Sangiovese Grosso, or Brunello, grapes in this northeast-facing vineyard, the Riserva Le Lucére is aged for 34 months in a combination of barrels, giving it a “textured richness” on the palate, according to the Advocate.

Because of its high quality and low production, this wine easily sells for $150 to $200 per bottle elsewhere. Trust us when we say that the 2012 San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Le Lucére is one worth snapping up—whether or not you serve it with a steak.