MEMBERSHIP PLAN: GOLD

FRANCESCO’S DESCRIPTIONS:

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Lisini Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2018  Song: Sunshine of Your Love by Cream. One of the “7 sisters”, aka founding wineries of Brunello di Montalcino, Lisini is a fierce representative of the western side of Montalcino, in the slope of Sant’Angelo in Colle where the warm sun and the breeze from the Tuscan shore give birth to lush, elegant and rich wines. Intense in the glass, an explosion of blackberry jam and raspberry, with a marked note of mediterranean scrub of thyme and sage that is the ‘fil rouge’ of Lisini, with red rose, potpourri and olive tree leaf to enhance the complexity and quality of the fantastic bouquet. Broad structure, succulent, marked by a mouthwatering freshness typical of 2018 vintage: an effusion of red roses and blackberry leads to a savory finish with an elegant, creamy tannin. Fantastic Brunello, one of the finest expressions of the western side of Montalcino, as lush, deep and intense as Eric Clapton’s riff in this iconic song by Cream. 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2029. Open 4h before. Price range $59

Tenuta Carleone Il Guercio Igt Toscana 2020 Song: Rock ’n' Roll Suicide by David Bowie (Live @ Santa Monica 1972). It is with the incredible encounter of Mr Karl Egger, Austrian entrepreneur, and Sean O’Callaghan, English enlightened winemaker, that Radda in Chianti has now some of the most quintessential, pure and dazzling Sangioveses of the world. The unlikely duo, driven by the goal of producing top quality wines with respect for the unique terroir of Radda, are now rising stars in the firmament of  Italian wines, despite having started their fantastic journey only recently, in 2012. Five months of maceration on the skins with 50% of whole-bunch clusters and a 1-year aging in concrete (no oak!), are the techniques used to make this audacious wine: the result is a super intense Sangiovese, with notes of sour cherry under spirit, dried violet, chocolate-covered cherry, herbs, forest floor, balm. Otherworldly elegance in the palate with a subtle effusion of small red fruits such as red currant and pomegranate; fresh and savory, clean and precise, a wine of unique pleasantness, with a fine-grained tannin and a wonderful aftertaste of pomegranate, mushroom and Jasmine tea. Best paired with the Live in Santa Monica album from 1972 by my favorite artist ever. 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2028. Open 3h before. Price range $65 

Icario Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ‘Sansasia’ Docg 2018 Song: Riders on the Storm by The Doors. A stunning new entry, for which the amazing Icario team has selected the very best grapes of the house, Sansasia is made using the ancient technique of ‘Governo Toscano’, adding dried grapes to the fermentation to create a warm, lascivious and robust wine. Intense bouquet of black fruits such as dark cherry and blackberry, then an infinite number of different nuances for a stunning complexity: scorched earth, roasted meat, potpourri, balm, graphite, chocolate, leather and a marked note of licorice. A very introspective wine rich in dark spices. Palate is warm, lustful, generous, sustained by a refreshing progression of dark fruits, leather and dark chocolate, for a velvety and succulent finish. Perfectly paired with Jim Morrison’s voice, a wine that shows the most seductive side of Vino Nobile. Wine is not filtered so should not worry about small sediment, it’s all natural. 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2028. Decant 1h before. Price range $70 

 

Fattoi Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2018  Song: It’s only Rock’n’Roll (but I Like it) by The Rolling Stones. Native of Montalcino for several generations, the Fattoi family controls every aspect of the production of their Brunello in the southern side of Montalcino, where the Orcia and Ombrone rivers meet. Their wines always show the rustic charm of Brunello, combining a broad bouquet and a fulfilling taste typical of the appellation, with authenticity and tradition. The aroma is neat, gratifying, with maraschino cherry, wild rose, wild berries, leather, cocoa, sandalwood and a note that is typical of their wines, graphite/pencil case, due to the rocky soil rich in Galestro(local stone). Palate is pure energy, rock’n’roll at its finest: vibrant, fresh with a great mineral hint and a nicely integrated tannin, for a long finish with a pleasant savoriness combined with a wild berries and sour cherry aftertaste. “I know, it’s only Brunello, but I like it, like it, yes I do!” 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2028. Open 4h before. Price range $43
 

Fattoi Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2017 Song: Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses. A great interpretation of one of the most feared vintages of the last decades, 2017. Late frosts and a 7-months drought challenged the winemakers to step up the game by reducing yields, in order to maintain high quality standards. Intense aromas of ripe fruit such as maraschino cherry and  blueberry, potpourri of dried flowers, cedar and sandalwood, cigar tobacco, leather and a marked note of pencil case that is the signature of the house. Palate has great and generous impact, with a lush explosion of tart and maraschino cherry, tannins with a good grip around the back of the lips but great overall balance, with a savory and fresh finish of red-fleshed fruits. A vigorous wine, with groove and great impact, perfectly paired with energetic Rock from Guns N’ Roses. 100% Sangiovese. 1 bt in shipment. Drink through 2023-2028. Open 4h before. Price range $43

Bakkanali Sangiovese Igt n.v. Song: Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin. The future of Tuscan enology is in the hands of Ugo Fabbri and Sebastian Nasello, whose vision takes form in a splendid terroir, yet to be discovered, the Monte Amiata.The roughness of the Maremma giant shapes an elegant and tasty Sangiovese, unique of its kind, in complete stylistic antithesis but qualitative continuity with nearby Montalcino, where Fabbri and Nasello first established themselves as winemakers. The wine shines red ruby light; the glass is a bouquet of red flowers such as wild rose, violets and geranium: notes of tart cherry, red currants, orange zest, underbrush, graphite and a note of raw meat as result of the rocky and ferrous soil of the Amiata Volcano. Palate is convivial, rhythmical, straightforward and energetic, very much like Led Zeppelin’s music. It’s fresh and savory, with a well polished tannin and an everlasting sensation of red berries,geranium and Jasmine tea.A unique wine, in which Tuscan tradition and a stylistic melting pot intertwine.By drinking it you will be able to say "I was there when it all started”. Decant. 100% Sangiovese. 2bts in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2025. Decant 1hr before serving. Price range $35

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Guidotti Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2019 Song: You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC. The new sensation of Montepulciano is definitely this micro-estate run by the Guidotti cousins, Massimiliano and Daniele, who after many years of selling grapes to some of the most popular wineries in the area, have decided to start labeling their own Vino Nobile, in 2018. This wine is only their second vintage as winemakers and it is already one of the bestselling bottles in town, despite the very small production. Intensity typical of the area of production with notes of tart cherry, orange blossoms, cocoa, leather and a ferrous minerality due to the soil rich in iron that recalls raw meat. In the palate is fresh and floral, with hints of orange peel and maraschino cherry. The tannin is still a bit edgy, like an AC/DC guitar riff by Angus Young, but the wine is savory, with a pleasant finish of pomegranate and red currant. I’d suggest to wait until September before opening, so that the tannin will be tamed by its first summer spent in the bottle, the best cure for the impetuosity of young Sangiovese(this lot was bottled on February 2023). 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through: September 2023-2027. Open 3h before. Price range $28
 

Le Bèrne Vino Nobile di Montepulciano cru Cervognano Alto Docg 2019 Song: Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed. The story of the Natalini family is a classic example of generational transition from farming to winemaking, starting at Podere le Bèrne in the early 60s with Mr. Egisto and his son Giuliano(still present with his wife Ada in the everyday life of the winery), passing the baton to the grandkids  Andrea & Laura that are now helped by the young grand-grandson Federico. Four generations for a traditional, authentic Vino Nobile. This is the new entry of the house, from the single vineyard of Cervognano.  Tart cherry under spirit, blueberry, violet, a hint of eucalyptus, graphite, chocolate and a sweet spice of cinnamon, for an incredibly refined bouquet. A beautiful expression of one of the most amazing terroirs for Sangiovese in all Tuscany, this wine is immensely palatable. In the beginning it is almost whispered, it slowly rewards the mouth with finesse: then it is a fantastic progression of crunchy cherry and red flowers that lead to a fine grained tannin and a lingering finish of majestic quality.There is a new star in town! 100% Sangiovese.1bt in Shipment.Drink through 2023-2029. Open 5h before. Price range: $56

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Le Bèrne Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Docg 2019 Song: Love of my Life by The Queen. Opulent and concentrated, the wine offers a bouquet of dehydrated prune and blueberry, with balsamic hints of eucalyptus, potpourri of dried flowers, notes of chocolate, tobacco and leather. The sip is generous, warm, rich: an effusion of dried violet and dehydrated fruit. The 15% of Alcohol are well balanced with freshness and a savory finish that intertwine with a firm, yet aristocratic tannin, with a lingering finish of prune and maraschino cherry. A Rock-Operatic wine, perfectly paired with the album ‘A night at the Opera’ by the Queen.  100% Sangiovese. 1 bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2028. Open 4h before. Price range: $35        

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Riecine Chianti Classico Riserva Docg 2020 Song: Sympathy for the Devil  by The Rolling Stones. One of the true leaders of the fantastic renaissance of Chianti Classico, Riecine is located in the heart of Chianti, in Gaiole, and their wines are a true ode to Sangiovese: intensity, precision, freshness, elegance, fragrance and a compulsive drinkability. This wine is one of the icons of Tuscany, a rare gem of incredible beauty. Intense and complex with notes of maraschino cherry, black currant, black olive, dried violet and orange zest, this Sangiovese of stunning quality invites to smell the glass over and over again. Palate is rich, succulent. An effusion of red fleshed fruits and tobacco, refreshing and palatable, with a super elegant tannin and a classy aftertaste of red currant, raspberry and tea. One of the ensigns of Chianti Classico as one of the best wine appellations of the globe. Close your eyes while drinking Riecine and you’ll daydream about strolling around the breathtaking hills of central Tuscany. 100% Sangiovese.1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2027. Open 3h before. Price range $59

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Riecine Chianti Classico Docg 2020 Song: Breathe by Pink Floyd . A stunning Chianti Classico of quintessential elegance: maraschino cherry, wild rose, violet, herbaceous hints, chocolate, tobacco and a classy note of underbrush leaning towards the truffle aroma. The glass is so satisfying to smell that creates addition, a fantastic expression of Sangiovese combined with the incredible terroir of Gaiole. In the palate this Chianti is succulent, lush and joyful, it fulfills the mouth with grace and elegance: gentle freshness with a delicate tannin and a mouthwatering aftertaste of red flowers and tart cherry. Perfectly paired with the most elegant Rock band of all times. 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2027. Open 3h before. Price tange $36