Antinori (Pian Vigne), Brunello di Montalcino 2018 - 75cl
Antinori bought Pian delle Vigne in 1995, and the estate southwest of Montalcino has since become one of the more reliable names in Brunello. The wine is pure Sangiovese, grown on clay-calcareous soils and given the long ageing the appellation demands before release. The 2018 vintage was cooler and more classic in Montalcino than the run of warm years around it, which suits this house's preference for balance over sheer heft.
The 2018 is dark ruby, and the nose takes its time: dried cherry and plum edge into rose petal and blood orange, then leather, tobacco and a wild-herb, brambly note that is very Montalcino. On the palate the entry is smooth and silky, dark cherry and pomegranate framed by firm but polished tannins, with espresso and dried herb filling the middle and bright acidity holding the line. The finish is long and echoes with orange peel, clove and that savoury earthiness the region is known for. Structured for the cellar, it will drink well over the next fifteen years.
How to Serve
Serve at 17-18C in a large Sangiovese or Bordeaux glass. Decant a young bottle a full hour ahead to let the tannins settle.
Where to Drink It
Bocca di Lupo, Soho - regional Italian cooking built for Sangiovese.
The River Cafe, Hammersmith - Tuscan plates and the room to enjoy them.
Scott's, Mayfair - if the bottle is the point of the evening.
Food Pairings
Bistecca alla fiorentina is the classic and the right one, the char and the blood of a rare T-bone meeting the wine's savoury grip.
