2020 Castello Giulio Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

All that separates the vineyards behind this Tuscan sleeper hit and those that produce Soldera’s $600 unicorn Brunellos—which rank among the most famous wines in the world—is a narrow strip of farm road.

And that’s just looking west. A two-minute drive south takes you to Pieve Santa Restituta, Gaja’s obsessive house dedicated to Brunello production. A hopscotch to the north and you’ve got Poggio Antico’s sweet spot for high-rated Sangiovese.

Authored by the ambitious Federico Nannetti, who assumed duties from his grandfather Cesare Castelli, the 2020 Castello Giulio Brunello di Montalcino is a wine cut in the old-school style, straying from overt oak application in favor of long, graceful tannins and transparency.

“The attack is extremely elegant on the full-bodied palate, with refined, filigree tannins and refreshing, integrated acidity,” wrote James Suckling.

The estate behind Castello Giulio sits at the heart of Montalcino’s golden zone for world-class Brunello, among the steep forested slopes and crumbling stone of Villa Santa Restituta. The same conditions that made Soldera’s cult Sangiovese bottlings possible—poor, rocky soils and an altitude blessed both by refreshing breezes and powerful daytime heat—have imbued this cuvée with an unmistakable gravitas. The warmer 2020 vintage captures the gentler side of this Giulio’s seriousness, showing bright acidity and an exuberant openness.  

To land a wine this well-crafted, from a place as deeply stocked with superstars as this square mile of Villa Santa Restituta, is a minor miracle. With its small production and unshowy attitude, Castello Giulio has not featured prominently in the Brunello discourse thus far. But as word gets out about bottles like this one, Giulio Brunello is a name that promises to be on the lips of savvy value-minded buyers everywhere.