Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting

Single-vineyard Brunellos emerge

• 17 min read
Tiezzi's Vigna Soccorso seen from Montalcino

A new generation is using historical knowledge of where the best grapes grow to map Montalcino piece by piece. Walter investigates developments at Banfi, Argiano, Canalicchio di Sopra, Capanna and Tiezzi, whose legendary Vigna Soccorso is seen above from the walls of Montalcino.

Last January, while I was in Montalcino to taste the newly released 2017 Brunellos and the 2016 Riservas, I paid a visit to Banfi, the giant Italo-American operation (2,830 ha/6,990 acres in Montalcino alone) which annually produces, inter alia, 500,000 bottles of Brunello (as well as 650,000 bottles of wine from its 114 ha/282 acres of Pinot...

Become a member or log in to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 295,086 wine reviews & 16,087 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 295,086 wine reviews & 16,087 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 295,086 wine reviews & 16,087 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 295,086 wine reviews & 16,087 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Tasting articles

Tertius Boshoff of Stellenrust shows off multiple Chenins in London
Tasting articles The many Cape Chenins and Chenin blends shown at a big South African tasting in London in May reviewed. Tertius...
Beaujolais vineyard harvest imminent
Tasting articles Bien Boire (‘drinking well’) en Beaujolais is more fun than Bordeaux’s primeurs and offers plenty of excellent wines, reports Natasha...
Alessandro Campatelli of Riecine
Tasting articles Pleasant surprises from a torrid year. Above, Alessandro Campatelli, director and oenologist (and now owner) at Riecine, made a 2022...
Split Rail vineyard
Tasting articles Part 4 of an exploration of California’s westernmost vineyards. Above, the Split Rail vineyard in Corralitos (credit: John Benedetti)...

More from JancisRobinson.com

The Pacific ocean view from Flowers Vineyards
Don't quote me Chris Howard asks, if there’s such a thing as volcanic wine, can there be oceanic wine? Above, seals on the...
Japanese Wine by Nick Rowan - book cover
Book reviews Nick Rowan’s new book is an amazingly complete guide to the wine (and cheese!) of Japan, for amateurs and professionals...
Ballymaloe House May 2026
Nick on restaurants An international institution in the southern Irish countryside. In 2011 I travelled to Ballymaloe House, a 40-minute drive from Cork...
female urban hands each holding a glass of wine - Shutterstock
Free for all Pauline Vicard asks, can wine still justify its cultural relevance? The answer to this question, rather than economics, may become...
Thomas Walk Vineyard in Kinsale
Free for all Jancis is put in her place, by the hybrid grapes of the Emerald Isle. A shorter version of this article...
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier bottle and glass of wine outdoors, on table with books
Wines of the week A summer-ready, silky white wine that’s widely available from just $8.99, £20.90 . The sleeper hit of Napa winery Pine...
Ungrafted monastrell vines in Jumilla
Free for all 4 June 2026 In advance of the 2026 Old Vine Conference on 8 June, we’re republishing this overview of our...
Dar Sinclair, Tangier
Don't quote me Foreign parts feature heavily this month but that’s far from all. The villa pictured above overlooks Tangier. I hope you...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.