VAL DI SUGA, BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO

TUSCANY, ITALY 2016

If you’re a lover of Italian wines, and more specifically of the great depth and intensity of Brunellos, then behold this stunner of a quartet we’ve assembled for your consideration this morning: a 98 point, a 97 point, a 96 point, and a 94 point.

And when I tell you the importer, you'll be even more intrigued: Wilson Daniels, which just so happens to rep some of the greatest wines in the world, among them Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Biondi Santi, and Dal Forno Romano.

The vintage for all four? 2016, which is only one of the greatest of the past quarter-century in Italian wine, filled with, in the words of Decanter, "structured, age-worthy wines with profound depth, soaring acidity, and plenty of drinking pleasure."

Val di Suga, our featured producer, has been putting out some of the most dynamic, expressive Brunellos around, and with this vintage they have surpassed themselves. This is an apex achievement for one of Italy's finest estates — the only one in all of Montalcino, I should point out, to have vineyards in three different crus, each with a different soil, each with its own microclimate.

That focus on terroir pays off with wines of great beauty, elegance, and character. 

The 98 point comes from the Poggio vineyard, and it is rife with stone and earth and gorgeous floral aromatics. Jeb Dunnuck, in that 98 point rave, praised its balance, harmony, and “fine-grained tannin,” calling it “a super-pleasurable wine right out of the gate and will continue to be so over the next 20 or more years."

Those same floral aromatics are evident in the Vigna del Lago, which Dunnuck was nearly as high on, lavishing 97 points and calling out the wine's "energetic acidity" — ideal, he wrote, for those who favor a "brighter, more lifted style with tension."

With the Vigna Spuntali, we see a wine that goes in the opposite direction. Dunnuck called it the most "brooding" of Val di Suga's 2016 roster, and no doubt that's a function of the terroir, the famed Spuntali single vineyard, one of the most revered sites in all of Montalcino, which is planted to a higher density and is known to produce a rich and ripe Sangiovese. Dunnuck awarded it 96 points, luxuriating in its savoriness, "roundness and grip."

Last but by no means least, we have the Brunello di Montalcino, which was sourced from all three vineyards on the hill of Montalcino. This is the biggest bargain of the quartet, at a best price of less than $60 per bottle, but here, again, as we saw in our tastings, there is remarkable finesse. Dunnuck awarded 94 points, calling it "dark fruited without weight" and "classically balanced."

We are very proud to have partnered with this superlative producer, and, as well, one of the legendary importers in Wilson Daniels, to bring you this knockout of a lineup.

Truly, if you love Italian wines made not just with intensity and depth but also with craft and soul, you are in luck. And will soon be in love.

But act now to secure yours!

*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2022. 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 MI, NY, or TN. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Sunday, March 27, 2022.