Steven Spurrier’s fine wine world

Decanter’s consultant editor and 2017 Man of the Year hand-picks fine wines for drinking and laying down, all priced from £25

Sesti Montalcinos

I have known the Sesti vineyard at Castello di Argiano, which was planted by Venetian astronomer Giuseppe Maria (Giugi) Sesti and his English wife Sarah in 1991, since their first vintage in 1995. Located in the south of Montalcino, below Sant’Angelo in Colle, their 13ha (which are planted 85% to Sangiovese) are organically farmed ‘according to the stars – from the writings of a Greek philosopher 2,000 years before Rudolf Steiner’. Thanks to the hands-off approach in the cellar favoured by Giugi and his daughter Elisa, the wines express their terroir beautifully. When I tasted them recently in London, the Rosso di Montalcino 2015 showed fine florality and good ripeness, while a 2012 vintage from my Dorset cellar was even better with a little more bottle age. Meanwhile the Brunello di Montalcino 2009 has warm middle fruit, drinking well at its mid-point of maturity; however, the latest 2013 release (£43.34) is the one to wait for: showing floral notes and light earthiness over a superb depth of vineyard fruit that will improve over a decade or more. The proof came with another bottle from my cellar: the 2001 was a magnificent, elegantly vigorous wine that blossomed in the glass. Contact UK agent Armit Wines for prices and availability.