2019 Altesino Riserva Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

Altesino’s 2019 is the #1 Brunello Riserva of the vintage—with 98 points, it’s alone at the top. It also happens to be tied with Casanova di Neri’s $360 Cerretalto for highest-scoring Brunello of 2019, which means you simply won’t find a better Brunello from that outstanding season.  

The 2019 vintage was an all-time great in Tuscany, with 5/5 stars from Decanter, 98 points from Wine Spectator, and praise from every corner of the wine world. When they came out, no one thought that vintage could be topped—then along came the 2020s. Since ‘20 was another spectacular season, everyone’s focused on those Brunellos. Meanwhile, here comes Altesino’s 2019 Riserva, one of the winery’s best bottles ever, flying under the radar. But our ears are always on. 

In 2019, 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.

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.