2016 Palazzo Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

Grown on one of Brunellos’s most prized terroirs and crafted by a local-legend winemaker, the 2016 Palazzo is as poised and powerful as a Tuscan duke.

It’s got haunting aromas of black plums, dried cherries, leather, smoke, and herbs. There’s plenty of coiled power on the palate, and after two hours in a decanter, it unwinds to reveal dense black and red fruit accented by orange peel, Lapsang tea, and hints of fennel seed and balsamic. There’s plenty of buried structure, making it a fantastic choice to cellar for a decade or more, if you have the patience.

The southeastern corner of the Brunello zone is one of the most coveted corners in Italian real estate, and Palazzo’s neighbors include icons Cerbaiona ($234) and Salvioni ($208)—whose standard Palazzo is clearly approaching. Their vineyards are “perfectly situated” and expertly farmed, according to Vinous, which praised their “open-minded approach to vineyard management.” They wring every last bit of quality out of their poor, stony soils—perfect for stressing grapevines and producing concentrated wines.

Despite their obvious natural advantages, Palazzo refuses to rest on their laurels. Vinous recently declared that the current team has “taken Palazzo to a whole new level,” in large part due to local legend Fabrizio Ciufoli, their consulting enologist. He’s had a dynamic effect in the cellar, focusing on traditional, Slavonian-oak botti, which allow the Sangiovese to mature subtly and gently. His selection standards are stricter than ever, which means this Brunello is qualitatively on par with Palazzo’s stunning Riservas of a decade ago—and you’ll taste that quality in every sip.