Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Appellation: Rosso di Montalcino
Grape: Sangiovese
Farming: Practicing biodynamic
From the importer
When the Venetian Giuseppe Maria Sesti and his Welsh wife Sarah moved to Tuscany in the 1970s, they purchased the abandoned ruins of the hamlet and castle of Argiano. In the ensuing years, they cleared the overgrown land and restored the buildings, reviving, in all its glory, this magnificent estate. In a way, it’s unfathomable that such a stunning castle perched up on a hill and the surrounding woodland could have fallen into such neglect. But the abandonment also turned out to be a blessing, as the slopes the Sestis eventually planted to vines were home to a relatively untouched and thriving ecosystem, rich with native plant and animal life. And fortunately for the health of the soil and ecosystem, Giuseppe was exactly the right person to take over this slice of paradise.
His background as an astronomer not only gave him a naturalist bent and a healthy skepticism of chemical treatment in the vines, but also allowed him to apply his knowledge of the moon’s influence on living things to his vineyard management and practices in the cellar—a methodology that is increasingly common today. In recent years, his daughter Elisa has overseen the domaine with the same ethos, pampering her hectares of organically and biodynamically grown Sangiovese vines as meticulously as if she were tending a backyard garden.
This Rosso di Montalcino stands as a gorgeous testament to the health and quality of the Sangiovese grapes, delivering concentration alongside freshness and elegance, and fragrant notes of black cherries, mint, and tea.