Tenuta Buon Tempo Brunello di Montalcino 2016

We very much miss our annual visits to the warm, sun-soaked, steep hillside of Buon Tempo in the far southern corner of Montalcino, called Castelnuovo dell’Abate, and cooking fat steaks on the grill with winemaker Alberto Machetti. Buon Tempo, which translates roughly to “good time” (and it always is to visit this beautiful property), has been on a qualitative tear these last several vintages. Although we cannot visit, we CAN DRINK IT at least, and we are STOKED to have a fresh infusion of the awesome ‘16 (THE vintage to buy, as you know by now!).

This really is a golden age for this winery, as they have perfected just about every aspect of what they do, from the vineyard to the cellar. It’s so dialed in -- rich and velvety, lush yet bright, with cool mountain spices, truffle and crushed rose petal...oh MAN! And...THE PRICE! Simply unbeatable by a big margin!

Grab a 6-pack...this is a good one to age for a few years too!

PAIRING IDEAS: Well, since we already mentioned big steaks, we gotta stick with that! The cut is a ribeye (bone in, preferably) - just S+P (I’ve been known to sprinkle a bit of fresh rosemary on it too, though), grilled to perfection. But the kicker is drizzling the very best olive oil you can find on the steak as the finishing touch. If you can whip out some crispy potatoes, all the better!

MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: Put on Norah Jones to get you in the mood of watching the sunset in Montalcino, a dreamscape of perfection for most people, especially if you love Sangiovese the way we do! Moody, mello and silky tunes work especially well with sultry and smooth red wines - this is a fantastic pairing.