2015 Podere Giodo, Brunello di Montalcino, Case of 6 btls

Carlo Ferrini is one of Tuscany's great winemakers, dubbed an "Italian Master" by Decanter, though you've probably never heard of his tiny Montalcino estate, Podere Giodo. It's his personal, low-key project, from the man Wine Enthusiast Magazine named 2008 Winemaker of the Year!

Ferrini farms the estate organically, keeps yields low through strict green harvesting, and skips the Brunello bottling entirely in vintages he doesn't consider worthy. In the cellar, his style is famously restrained: short macerations, wild yeast, no pump-overs, all in service of what he calls "elegance, elegance, elegance."

The 2015 spends two and a half years in French oak followed by another 18 months in bottle before release, resulting in a wine of real depth and velvety texture, complex and long without ever tipping into heaviness.

James Suckling | 100 Points

"This is a splendid Brunello, showing extraordinary purity of sangiovese character. Cherry and floral aromas and flavors. Full-bodied with incredibly integrated tannins that seem like they are not there. But they are and are comprehensive on the palate. Great depth and agility. Just floats on the palate. Magic carpet. Drinkable, to enjoy the magic, but needs three or four years to come around."

Wine Advocate | 97+ Points

"The Giodo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a real stunner with a tight, finely knit texture that transcends and ultimately unites both the bouquet and the mouthfeel, putting them on an even playing field. This gives the wine a broad sense of unity and wholeness that is the key to withstanding the aging process one would expect to submit this bottle to. At this young stage, Giodo's Brunello reveals blue flowers, wild berry, camphor ash and delicate spice. This wine shows a compressed sense of intensity that expands quickly after you lift the proverbial lid off the box. As it breathes in air and takes on more volume, it also leaves a deeper impression on your nose and palate. It closes with a simple note of sweet cherry that makes for a perfect postscript. Some 10,000 bottles were released in January 2020."