La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012

La Fortuna is one of the oldest wineries in the area. They’re a 100% family-owned operation run by the father/son duo of Angiolino (son) and Gioberto Zannoni (father) along with his wife Felicetta.

They began in 1907, with Angiolino Zannoni, Gioberto’s great grandfather, growing seed crops and raising livestock. His son Gino followed suit, taking over in the 1950s at a time when the economic landscape was changing dramatically — people were fleeing the land in droves to take manufacturing jobs in the cities. Gino knew he wanted none of that, and so he bought the land his family was farming from the landlord.

The entire estate is centered around their centuries old Tuscan farmhouse, where the family has lived for over a century. Around 20 acres of vines are planted between two vineyard sites, one near Fulginiae and the other in the south near Castelnuovo dell’Abate. The northern site is a bit cooler, while the southern vineyards are warmer and each year they blend fruit from both locations, the quantity changing depending on the conditions in each.