From our importer: In talking to Elisa Sesti, and learning about her family’s estate, it quickly becomes clear that daily life on the grounds of Castello di Argiano has carried over from a different time. The dilapidated, medieval castle named after Janus, a Roman god with two faces—one looking to the past, the other to the future—wasn’t an obvious place to settle down when her parents arrived in the 1970s. Locals nicknamed it Arginaccio (“ugly Argiano”) and il Viperaio (“the viper’s den”) after the serpents who took up residence while it lay abandoned. But the Sestis foresaw potential in the property, and a remote paradise in which to build a life.

As their restoration plans advanced, they began planting Sangiovese, which Elisa calls “a primadonna variety” as it requires the attention of a devoted vigneron as well as just the right conditions to thrive. Luckily Argiano finds itself at the center of a privileged microclimate just 30 km from both the sea and mountains (the dormant Monte Amiata volcano), with vineyards protected by a dense forest. In summertime, their southern slopes allow fruit to achieve a balanced ripeness while a refreshing sea breeze aerates and cools down the vineyards. During the winter, these same winds provide hydration and humidity.

In their lineup of world-class Brunellos and Rossos, the IGT Toscana plays an important role: it introduces Sangiovese to uninitiated palates by capturing the grape’s youthful charm, bright acidity, and punchy fruit qualities. The 2021 bottling is earthy, inviting, and zingy, and ready to drink and pair in abundance with Italian classics like tomato pastas and bean stews, or heartier, gamey Tuscan dishes. Farming for the “Monteleccio” is the same as for their Brunellos—they adhere strictly to lunar and planetary cycles to guide them—but the former, which is a selection of declassified Brunello fruit, spends just one year in large botti instead of three.

In the spirit of Janus, for whom the month of January is also named, we’re embracing transition and starting the year right with Sesti’s “Monteleccio,” an apt symbol for new beginnings. - Jane Augustine

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