"96pts James Suckling
Fantastic aromas of orange peel and dark berry with plenty of plum and cherry. Sweet tobacco and mushrooms. Full body, juicy and fruity with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Complex and gorgeous. Fine and very long.
93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino shows laser focus and a precise delivery of aromas that makes an immediate and satisfying first impression. This is a delicately assembled wine that shows the deft hand of the winemaking team behind the scenes. Bright fruit and cherry is connected, in a careful embroidery, to spice, leather, tar and cured tobacco. There are subtle tones of ash and crushed mineral as well. - Monica Larner, February 2018
93pts Wine Enthusiast
Chopped herbs, new leather, underbrush and a whiff of star anise lead the nose. The firmly structured, chewy palate delivers ripe blackberry, juicy Marasca cherry, licorice and a dollop of vanilla set against a backbone of firm, polished tannins."
Argiano’s history dates back to 1580, when the Pecci family of Siena began the construction of a magnificent villa, complete with vast cellars. In 1967, Argiano, which is the south west quarter of the Brunello appellation, was one of the founder members of the Consorzio di Brunello. In 1992 Contessa Noemi Marone Cinzano bought the estate, and engaged the world-famous Giacomo Tachis (the creator of Sassicaia, Tignanello and Solaia) as consultant oenologist. Under his guidance, the Sangiovese vineyards were extended and the cellars modernised. In 2013, André Esteves, a Brazilian financier bought Argiano. Since then, he has provided funds for a massive updating of the entire estate. New cellars have been built, the villa is undergoing an extensive renovation programme and the vineyards have been mapped into six separate zones by the acclaimed Chilean terroir consultant, Pedro Parra. In consequence of the switch to organic methods, the bee population has soared throughout the estate, which covers 125 hectares, 70 of which are under vine.
The Argiano plateau is at 300m. The soil is clay, with limestone and fossils. The Brunello di Montalcino, also 100% Sangiovese Grosso (usually harvested between the end of September and the middle of October), ferments on the skins in stainless steel for 2 or 3 weeks. The malo-lactic fermentation follows smoothly on from the alcoholic. The wine is then aged in large French oak barrels of 30 months
