In the deft hands of our favorite Brunello producer, Luca Brunelli, the Poggio Vignoso Chianti has evolved into a value extraordinaire. Everything Luca touches becomes a study in patience, balance, and precision. Commuting the 10 quick kilometers across the Val d’Orcia from his family home in Montalcino, Luca tends to these Colli Sinesi vines in the small town of Torrenieri. Importantly, he treats every plant with the same reverence as those he uses for his high-end wines. The altitude and soil may differ from those near his hilltop cellar, but the common denominators – plants trained to grow a small number of clusters, hand selection, and low yields – remain firmly in place. Always quality over quantity with Luca, regardless of whether the wine is destined for the Chianti bottle or the Brunello.

Grown throughout the Maremma (southern Tuscany) and prized for its notes of dark cherry and earth, the Morellino clone of Sangiovese can best be described as ‘friendly’. It provides the perfect backdrop for a Chianti which is light on the palate, yet pleasing in terms of fruit. Known for its rusticity, this thick-skinned grape can provide a bit of tannic balance, even in an unoaked setting. Since the clusters are what local farmers call spargolo - looser, with more space between berries - it is also more resistant to mold than the local champion, Sangiovese Grosso. Over 300 days of sun, dense clay soils, and constant breezes ushered inland by valleys running perpendicular to the sea make for a true trifecta in terms of growing conditions.

Just NE of Montalcino as the crow flies, the small town of Torrenieri sits in the Val d’Orcia, a remote area known for its powerful, elegant wines and breathtaking scenery, but rarely frequented by tourists. Importantly, while Orcia has its own DOC, it overlaps (as does Montalcino) with the broader Chianti Colli Sinesi designation. Thanks to this enological landscape, Luca is permitted to transport the grapes the short distance home. Bottling then takes place at his cellar in Montalcino, making the Poggio Vignoso’s everyday value all the more pronounced.