Sesta di Sopra

There are wineries that you don't find through advertising, but through word of mouth from people who know exactly what they are talking about. Sesta di Sopra is one of them. Ettore Spina was a banker in Turin for more than forty years before he bought an abandoned farmstead south of Montalcino in the 1980s and replanted it – not out of calculation, but out of conviction. Today, he and his family cultivate 2.5 hectares of Sangiovese at an altitude of 350 metres near Castelnuovo dell'Abate: calcareous marl, biodynamic cultivation, hand-picking and an annual production that fits into a single large barrel. Ian d'Agata has no hesitation in calling this vineyard one of the best Montalcinos in the world.

The south-eastern tip of Montalcino – near Castelnuovo dell'Abate, at an altitude of 350 to 380 metres, surrounded by oak forests and olive groves – is known for Brunello of extraordinary elegance. On this marl-limestone soil with layers of clay, where sea breezes and the cool nights of Monte Amiata speak the same language, the Spina family has spent four decades quietly building up a vineyard that produces more from a few hectares than some do from twenty. The Rosso di Montalcino is Sesta di Sopra's finger pointing: what is possible when Brunello is still waiting. Fermentation in temperature-controlled steel tanks, maturation in French barriques – more accessible and fresher than its big brother, but with the same roots, the same limestone, the same signature. The difference lies in the timing, not the ambition.

Enrica and Ettore learned winemaking from none other than Giancarlo Pacenti. The grapes for this vinophile masterpiece come from a small vineyard in Castelnuovo dell'Abate. Deep, full-bodied expression with warm aromatic layers adding impressive intensity to the bouquet of dark plum, blackberry, dried cherry, liquorice, tar, black truffle and leather. Then on the palate, a beguiling extract sweetness, again very complex and resonant, in quiet unison with the characteristics of the exceptional terroir. The 36 months of very slow ageing in large oak barrels provide a wonderful harmony and a very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino (of which only 4,000 bottles were made) offers great balance and a very pretty personality, based on bright cherries, some earthiness and crushed flowers on the nose. The wine is very supple and integrated, especially in terms of its polished tannins, and there is of course a wonderfully perky spot of bright acidity at the end. A beautiful wine full of verve and grace with waves of red and black berries over its savoury and mineral core. A rich, grippy tannin accompanies the juicy final, which ends with delicate notes of almonds and roses. SUPERIORE.DE

Here is another outstanding 2019 Brunello from a winery that is still considered an insider tip given its small size and limited annual production. Medium, bright ruby red colour. Exotic aromas of minerals and citrus fruits, reminiscent of red cherries, blood oranges and Asian spices, with a floral nuance that gains strength with air. The palate is supple and expansive, with sweet flavours of red cherries and dark plums carried by a powerful acidity. Densely packed, at once fleshy and broad, but also lively and precise. On the strikingly long finish, it shows excellent power and cut, characterised by youthful, dusty tannins and a hint of candied violets. As is so often the case, this is one of the best Brunellos of the vintage and still completely under the radar of many Sangiovese lovers. SUPERIORE.DE

Here is another outstanding 2020 Brunello from a winery that is still considered an insider tip given its small size and limited annual production. Medium, bright ruby red colour. Exotic aromas of minerals and citrus fruits reminiscent of red cherries, blood oranges and Asian spices, with a floral nuance that gains strength with air. The palate is supple and expansive, with sweet flavours of red cherries and dark plums carried by a powerful acidity. Densely packed, at once fleshy and broad, but also lively and precise. On the strikingly long finish, it shows excellent power and cut, characterised by youthful, dusty tannins and a hint of candied violets. As is so often the case, this is one of the best Brunellos of the vintage and still completely under the radar of many Sangiovese lovers. SUPERIORE.DE

This is certainly unique: one year's production. One cask. Thirty hectolitres of Slavonian oak – and within it, the Spina family's entire ambition for their Brunello Annata. No second cask as a reserve. No possibility of correcting, topping up or diluting. What matures in this vessel is the annual production of the Annata: the 2.5-hectare Brunello vineyard at 380 metres near Castelnuovo dell'Abate, the calcareous marl, four decades of manual labour, and the decisions made each year. Sesta di Sopra produces around 4,000 bottles of vintage Brunello – that is less than some estates quietly allow to disappear into their blends. 2021 was the year of transparency in Montalcino. Cool nights and warm days gave the Sangiovese that nervous tension which critics describe as "vertical" – energy rather than mass, precision rather than opulence. In the single barrel in which Sesta di Sopra allowed its grapes to mature, this vintage was simply outstanding!

The Magistra Brunello was vinified for the second time in 2019. Produced in a small edition of just over 1,000 bottles, it is the estate's new flagship wine. It is an extremely rigorous selection of the best grapes from the small Magistra vineyard, which is located south of Montalcino at around 400 metres above sea level. The vines are surrounded by a holm oak forest, which benefits from exposure with night-time ventilation from the Orcia Valley. This favours the development of the aromas, which are noticeable in the intense Sangiovese bouquet of crushed sour cherries, spiced blood oranges, minty herbs and a hint of sweet smoke. Silky yet lively on the palate, driven by a lively acidity that effortlessly carries the mineral fruit of the red berries across the palate together with the polished tannins. A gem of a wine! SUPERIORE.DE

Brunello Magistra is an extremely rigorous selection of the best grapes from the small vineyard of the same name, which is located south of Montalcino at an altitude of around 400 metres above sea level. The vines are surrounded by a holm oak forest, which benefits from exposure with night-time ventilation from the Orcia Valley. This favours the development of the aromas, which are noticeable in the intense Sangiovese bouquet of crushed sour cherries, spiced blood oranges, minty herbs and a hint of sweet smoke. Silky yet lively on the palate, driven by a lively acidity that effortlessly carries the mineral fruit of the red berries across the palate together with the polished tannins. A gem of a wine! SUPERIORE.DE

Magistra. The Latin word for the teacher, the master – the one from whom one learns without her saying much. Ettore Spina did not give his oldest plot a romantic name, but a precise one. What this vineyard, just under a hectare in size and planted with Sangiovese, produces is a lesson in itself. Planted in 1982 with the BBS11 clone from the Biondi-Santi family – the finest Montalcino has to offer. Chalky soil at 380 metres, vines with roots running deep for over four decades, whose yield has always been low. Ian d'Agata describes the terroir of Sesta di Sopra, together with Montosoli, as one of the two finest sites for Sangiovese in the whole of Montalcino. The Magistra vineyard lies at the heart of this area. And, just like the Annata in its own barrel, it matures in a single Slavonian oak cask. The result: barely 1,000 bottles a year. In more challenging years, even fewer.

Sesta di Sopras Riserva from the 2019 flagship vintage impressively presents a masculine and muscular personality in the glass. The nose has a striking aroma of dark fruits, wild berries, sour cherries, leather and tobacco. All of these components blend together seamlessly. A medium texture and density on the palate and a fantastically long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Here is another outstanding 2019 Brunello from a winery that is still considered an insider tip given its small size and limited annual production. Medium, bright ruby red colour. Exotic aromas of minerals and citrus fruits, reminiscent of red cherries, blood oranges and Asian spices, with a floral nuance that gains strength with air. The palate is supple and expansive, with sweet flavours of red cherries and dark plums carried by a powerful acidity. Densely packed, at once fleshy and broad, but also lively and precise. On the strikingly long finish, it shows excellent power and cut, characterised by youthful, dusty tannins and a hint of candied violets. As is so often the case, this is one of the best Brunellos of the vintage and still completely under the radar of many Sangiovese lovers. SUPERIORE.DE