Brunello di Montalcino, Italy: cellar secrets from our wine experts

"The ladies of Le Potazzine make a terrific bottle of Brunello, and their high-elevation vineyards are especially important in maintaining freshness in a scorching-hot vintage such as this. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino offers a pretty succession of wild berry, cherry and plum aromas, along with light spice, crushed flowers and perfumed potting soil. This wine is also distinguished by a touch of bay leaf and maybe a warmer note of cured tobacco as well. This is an impressive effort (with 16,000 bottles released) that would marry the gamey flavors of rabbit or guinea fowl cooked with fresh sage, vegetable stock and juniper berries." - Le Guide MICHELIN