Greetings from the coveted/exclusive Sesta District in the high-elevation southeast corner of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG!
It is 6:40pm, the sun just set here at the Tenuta di Sesta winery, and as it was casting its glow on a grove of 100+ year-old olive trees, I asked proprietor/wonderwoman Francesca Ciacci if any of the EVOO from these trees was for sale.
"Yes, of course," she laughs, "come with me and smell this vat that we pressed during the holiday season and will bottle tomorrow!"
...So we turn the corner to enter one of the many ancient outbuildings on the property (the Sesta estate/family compound is basically a mini-town from the middle ages, complete with its own church, amazing story but don't let me digress, we have olive oil to divvy out to you and dinner to catch)...
Francesca opens the lid on the vat, as pictured above...
We sneak our noses under the lid.
Wow.
From the native/heirloom Montalcino varietals Correggiolo, Moraiolo and Olivastra Seggianese, the aromatics bursting upwards come as one of the best sensory experiences a person can ask for - Think helichrysum, resinous Tuscan herbs, cut grass, and artichokes, with a medium-bodied buttery texture.
The provenance doesn't get more noble, the bottled product will never come to us any fresher, and the direct pricing we worked out while typing this is pretty remarkable. With many of you already being loyal followers of Tenuta di Sesta's various Brunello di Montalcino Riserva bottlings, we are guessing this will be our busiest offer of the year thus far.
Ready, set, hoard!