La Serena Brunello di Montalcino 2017

La Serena has been in the Mantengoli family since the 1930s, though brothers Andrea and Marcello only began making wine under their own label in 1988. The nine-hectare estate sits due east of Montalcino at 450 meters, surrounded by legendary neighbors including Cerbaiona, Casanova di Neri, and Biondi Santi's Il Greppo. The vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically in sandy, galestro-laced soils that produce wines with notable approachability without sacrificing structure.

The 2017 is brilliant ruby with garnet reflections, offering a complex nose of small dark berries, sweet spice, and elegant balsamic hints, finishing on dried tobacco leaf. On the palate it is lively and silky, with well-integrated tannins, a good core of acidity, and a broad, opulent body that delivers real harmony and balance. Pretty notes of red cherry, exotic flowers, licorice, and wild herbs round out a lengthy, chiseled finish. Drink now with a generous decant, or cellar through the mid-2030s.

Grab yours before it's gone.