About this WINE
Sesti/Castello di Argiano, Tuscany
What started as neighbourly help assisting in the nearby vineyards and wineries soon led Giuseppe Sesti to discovering his own passion and talent for winemaking, planting his own vines at Castello di Argiano in 1991, a 13th century property with Etruscan origins.
The progress Giuseppe has made in such a short time is staggering, and the Sesti wines are now widely acknowledged to be quite simply some of the finest that Montalcino has to offer. Having studied astronomy, it is not surprising that many of his winemaking processes follow the lunar cycle. Expertly assisted by his daughter Elisa who gave up a career as a theatre director, Giuseppe has succeeded in establishing an extremely impressive international reputation in the world of wine.
The Sesti estate consists of 102 hectares (254 acres) of land, of which nine hectares are planted to vineyards. The rest is given to olive groves grazing or woodland.
Sangiovese
A black grape widely grown in Central Italy and the main component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as being the sole permitted grape for the famed Brunello di Montalcino.
It is a high yielding, late ripening grape that performs best on well-drained calcareous soils on south-facing hillsides. For years it was blighted by poor clonal selection and massive overcropping - however since the 1980s the quality of Sangiovese-based wines has rocketed upwards and they are now some of the most sought after in the world.
It produces wines with pronounced tannins and acidity, though not always with great depth of colour, and its character can vary from farmyard/leather nuances through to essence of red cherries and plums. In the 1960s the advent of Super Tuscans saw bottlings of 100% Sangiovese wines, as well as the introduction of Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blends, the most famous being Tignanello.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
100% Sangiovese from Rosso di Montalcino vineyards, Sesti's “Grangiovese” is a fresher, juicier, medium bodied take on the Tuscan classic. And such was the 2012 vintage, with its snowy winter and summer drought, that it's immensely gratifying too, with smart, crunchy summer fruit, with hints of tea, thanks to being aged briefly in slavonian botte grande (big barrels), along with sapid currant flavours. Very moreish.
David Berry Green
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee