Crisp. Bright. Wildly Drinkable. Sangiovese.

Real Wine, Real Place: Sesta di Sopra 2024 Sangiovese

Some wines are just plain good. The 2024 Sesta di Sopra Toscana IGT Sangiovese isn’t factory made wine. This is real wine—grown, harvested, and bottled by hand on a remote 44-hectare estate just south of Montalcino. Sesta di Sopra was never meant to be a commercial venture, just a romantic, quiet retirement.

From just 4 hectares of vines tended by hand in the hills south of Montalcino, this is the real stuff—pure, small-production Sangiovese made by the family who lives on the land. It’s hard not to be moved by the sincerity of their story: Enrica and Ettore didn’t set out to build a brand, they just wanted to grow old in a place that felt “magical.” That place—Sesta di Sopra—turned out to be ideal for vines, with calcareous soils and a steady breeze that keeps things fresh and balanced.

And fresh is the key word here. This Sangiovese is all about bright cherry, redcurrant, crushed herbs, and a little pepper snap that makes it downright irresistible. It’s the kind of wine you open on a Tuesday with pasta or grilled sausage and then kick yourself for not buying more.

Only 1,300 bottles were made—and for under $25, it’s the kind of value that rarely makes it out of Italy, let alone lands on shelves here. There’s no pretense, no fancy label talk—just clean, precise, soulful wine that feels like it came from someone’s hands, not a machine.

If you care about real wine—fresh, direct, and grown with love—this one belongs in your glass.

From Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Here's a new discovery from Sesta di Sopra. An IGT Toscana bottling, the … Sangiovese offers a little extra of the proverbial meat on its bones, especially for those looking for a satisfying but easy-drinking wine for pasta or grilled sausage. Dark cherry, plum and redcurrant rise from the bouquet of this very small 1,300-bottle release. Those aromas are followed by spice, grilled herb and toasted almond. This wine is all about primary freshness, and there is a playful hint of crushed white pepper on the close.