CASALINO, BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
TUSCANY, ITALY 2020
Folks, we've just found the absolute perfect wine for pasta and pizza and burgers.
A Brunello so good and so versatile — and so agreeably priced, besides, at just $35 a bottle when you buy a case — that we're sure that it'll be a fixture at your table for just about every other meal, too.
It hails from the stellar 2020 vintage, which the Robb Report declared “one of the best of the century,” with other critics hailing the wines almost across the board for their charm (Monica Larner), freshness (James Suckling), approachability and balance.
The producer: the old-school stalwart Casalino, which makes Brunello in the classic style that we love, and that has a knack for crafting wines that cost like they're worth twice as much.
James Suckling hailed its “polished style,” “freshness,” and admirable “restraint,” which, he wrote, is “confirmed on the full-bodied palate with brisk acidity and firm, chalky tannins that are well covered with concentrated fruit.”
In our estimation, this is a wine that's ready to drink now, but that also has room to grow. The six years of bottle age show up on the palate in a surprising softness and poise, and there are lovely grace notes that crop up throughout the drinking experience, from the delicate and refined aromatics to the powdery tannins to the sneaky vein of acidity that keeps you reaching for another sip.
The Bonacchi family is no newcomer; it has been making wine in Tuscany since the late 1800s. The current (and most exciting) chapter of this story began in 1999, when it acquired the 60-acre Casalino estate in Chianti, followed two years later by their crucial Montalcino purchase: a 25-acre plot called Molino della Suga that sits perfectly between highly-sought Brunello and Rosso territory.
Fourth-generation winemaker Andrea Bonacchi now oversees the operation with an almost fanatical devotion to the Sangiovese grape and a classical style that, sadly, seems to have gone out of fashion elsewhere.
Andrea is steadfast in his refusal to chase trends or inflate prices. He continues to craft Brunellos that harken back to an earlier age of winemaking, when wines were crafted to taste like nothing so much as themselves.
This 2020 bottling exemplifies that philosophy perfectly: a wine with serious pedigree that doesn't take itself too seriously, and that’s built for pleasure rather than point-scoring.
At $35 a bottle, it makes you grateful that such deals like this still exist in the world.
Secure your cases now, and gift yourself the ultimate table wine for your casual midweek meals and low-key dinner parties.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NY, OK, or TN. This offer is valid for TWO WEEKS, or until sold out, and will expire on Monday, April 6th, 2026.