Le Ragnaie is the greatest thing to emerge in Montalcino so far this century. It may be the greatest thing to emerge in Montalcino since the rise of Soldera, with whom they have much in common: an uncompromising adherence to tradition (aging exclusively in large neutral Slavonian oak barrels, ultra-long macerations), natural farming, minimal intervention in the cellar, and excellent terroir. But there is one way in which Le Ragnaie stands apart from Soldera that makes their wines even more extreme: high altitudes. Le Ragnaie farms the highest altitude vines in Brunello di Montalcino! Some vineyards are so high up that they are above Brunello di Montalcino's legal limit of 600 meters. The 2022 “baby Brunello” opens the door to Le Ragnaie’s world without the decades of patience a full Brunello demands. Same 100% Sangiovese from the same soils, just less aging required, which means fresh, fruity expression with lighter tannins and immediate approachability. This is where discovery begins—the entry point that leads to obsession.