WHAT

Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello)

WHEN

2017

WHERE

Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Riccardo Campinoti purchased Le Ragnaie in 2002 and has quietly built it into one of Montalcino's most exciting estates. The vineyards sit at some of the highest elevations in the appellation — cooler, slower ripening, with a finesse that sets Le Ragnaie apart from the more opulent end of Brunello. Everything is certified organic, fermented with native yeasts in concrete, macerated long and slow on the skins, and aged three years in large Slavonian oak botti before bottling unfiltered. No shortcuts, no new oak influence.

The 2017 vintage was warm and concentrated but Le Ragnaie's altitude kept freshness intact — the hallmark of the estate is that mineral, lifted quality that Riccardo describes as a "long, slow infusion on skins." This is the 1.5L Magnum format, which ages more gracefully than a standard bottle and is the ideal format for a wine built for the long term. A serious collector's bottle — equally compelling to open now with ceremony or to lay down for another decade.