“These are wines of the very highest level, and I can’t recommend them highly enough.” – Vinous

Our astute Operatives will remember their 2018 ‘Vecchie Vigne’ from last November. Or perhaps the Pelagrilli from the previous spring.

Both came and went in the blink of an eye. So, it’s okay if you don’t. But pay attention! Today? We’re stepping back a year, to a vintage coming into its prime, with their ultra-rare Vecchie Vigne from estate old vines. All for a STUNNING 60% OFF?!

That’s right – FLAGSHIP CULT BRUNELLO - under $60! Unheard of… (except here!)

Per Vinous “Pacenti is by far the leading exponent of the modern school of Brunello di Montalcino. No other producer has succeeded in crafting wines of this much textural beauty and refinement.” There is no doubt Siro Pacenti is synonymous with cult Brunello.

Wine Advocate is among the many others to sing their praises, “Siro Pacenti is one of Montalcino’s most influential modern estates, widely credited with redefining Brunello di Montalcino through a more powerful and concentrated style that remains firmly rooted in Sangiovese character. Founded in the 1970s and now led by Giancarlo Pacenti, the estate farms vineyards across a range of soil types and elevations. Its winemaking philosophy has long embraced the use of French barriques for both fermentation and maturation, a defining element of the house style.”

Mind you, though, if you prefer your Brunelli to be on the light, more ethereal side, look the other way. Should intensity and richness be rocking your boat, you came to the right place! This is stuffed to the gills with ripe fruit, black and red, dried, and fresh. It’s hedonistic in the best way! With perfectly integrated oak complexity, its tannins are just showing a subtle softening, adding to the wines already complex textural character, finishing with a robust crescendo of fruit and spice.

This bottling is a blend of roughly 40-60-year-old vines from their estate vineyards. Between their landholdings in the region’s northern Canalicchio district – their Pelagrilli estate – and the more southerly Piancornello district, Pacenti (out of over 200 growers) owns a whopping 20% of the well-aged plantings in the region!

The importance of this, and their unrelenting commitment to quality, cannot be overstated. “Siro Pacenti cut their production down by 50% to create this successful expression of the 2017 vintage.” explains Vinous.

A vintage marked by low rains and high heat, critics didn’t quite know what to make of it. The chief complaint was that the wines were TOO BIG, TOO POWERFUL. Pacenti’s 2017 received high critical praise when reviewed on its initial release, 4-5 years-ago. A 95 & DOUBLE 94’s, with the promise of development in the bottle. But having tasted this at HQ recently?! It has truly blossomed and come into its own!

Tasted today, critics would surely ratchet it up a further three-to-four points!

Totally approachable yet seriously profound, it’s a must-have for any FULL-BODIED RED aficionado!

Whatever you do, don’t wait too long. This deal will go “poof” before we know it.

95 Points – Fallstaff “Rich, deep ruby garnet in colour. A compact nose with lots of forest fruits, raspberry and blackberry, plus rich notes of tobacco and cloves in the background. There’s plenty of polished, fine-meshed tannins on the palate alongside the vivid fruit, and it shows beautiful drive on the long finish.”

94 Points – Wine Advocate “It’s a stylistic question, and my palate is moving away from this boldly extracted style, but the high alcohol (two of these wines are in the 15% alcohol range) and the oak are a lot to take in. That said, winemaking at Siro Pacenti is impeccable and no expense is spared. The Siro Pacenti 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne shows an extra degree of concentration and thickness thanks both to the vintage (this hot and dry growing season produced darker, more intense berries) and the older vines that also work toward greater fruit weight. The Vecchie Vigne shows lots of depth and textural weaving with dark berries and oak spice. In fact, the oak (and that big 15% alcohol) is more prominent in this 18,000-bottle release. It offers long-lasting notes of smoke, sweet cedar and woodshop. Drink 2024-2045.”

94 Points – James Suckling “Ripe fruit with lavender and sandalwood as well as some new wood on the nose. Medium to full body, with firm and structured tannins that are polished and curated. Needs time to soften and come together. Bigger style for Pacenti due to the hot vintage. Try after 2023.”