Ruffino Greppone Mazzi Brunello di Montalcino 2017

Ruffino’s Tuscany holdings are really special—there’s no other way to describe it. Armed with a sprawling property that borders Biondi Santi, this is real estate that just about every single wine grower in Italy would kill to have.

The estate called Greppone Mazzi is simply stunning. Here, only the best Sangiovese grapes are hand-harvested each year to produce their Greppone Mazzi Brunello di Montalcino. Not only do they only choose the best grapes, they even limit yields to two and half tons per acre to ensure that the grapes that do stay on vines are treated to the best possible conditions.

The wine is aged for about 36 months, which is 12 months longer than required by law. Still, the winery believes that the marriage between their large oak casks and the special Sangiovese picked here creates something magical.

In the well-respected 2017 vintage, there is no doubt that Ruffino produced something otherworldly with their Greppone Mazzi. The wine was treated to a trio of big scores, highlighted by the 93-point score from James Suckling who called it “lovely, full-bodied and juicy.” Wine Spectator and Decanter concurred.