Since 1888, only the finest Sangiovese Grosso grapes grown on the estate have been used to make Argiano Brunello di Montalcino. Grapes are selected from the most noble vineyard plots, vinified, then aged for 1 year in both French oak barriques and tonneaux. In the 2nd year, the wine is transferred to large Slavonian oak barrels, which allow the wine to achieve balance. Finally, after completing 2 years of maturation in wood, the wine is transferred into concrete tanks.

The combination of concentrated, ripe grapes undergoing fermentation at meticulously controlled temperatures, together with careful ageing in a selection of different oak barrels, produces red wines that conserve that incredible aging potential for which Brunello di Montalcino is famous for.

Argiano’s 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is a 100% Sangiovese from the estate’s longtime holdings near Sant’Angelo in Colle in Tuscany, and it arrives with a notably strong critical track record. The top notices are excellent: Kerin O’Keefe scores it 96, calling it a “fantastic 2020 Brunello,” while Wine Enthusiast also awards 96, concluding, “Brunello is always good, but sometimes it’s also exciting.” Several other leading outlets cluster at 94 points, including Decanter, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and James Suckling—broad, consistent acclaim for a widely distributed release.

Stylistically, reviewers converge on a wine that combines ripe fruit with savory, herbal detail and a fresh structural line. O’Keefe highlights “ripe berry, blue flower, Mediterranean scrub and wild aromatic herb,” then points to an “elegantly structured” palate with “mature Marasca cherry, ripe plum, baking spice and licorice… [and] fresh acidity.” Monica Larner in Wine Advocate emphasizes balance and clarity, describing “bright cherry fruit intensity” alongside “soft spice, grilled herb and sweet potting soil,” noting fruit from vines “12 to 55 years old” and an “ample 104,000-bottle release.”

There is also an appealing coastal-tinged aromatic profile in Decanter’s review: the wine, “from six parcels… fermented in cement and aged in 30- to 50-hectolitre oak casks,” is “an absolute charmer,” with “spiced persimmon… heady lavender” and “hints of sea and sand,” and a recommended window of 2025–2034.

Structure reads as firm but polished. James Suckling finds it “a little tight now… medium-bodied and crisp, with firm tannins,” advising time (“Give it two or three years to open”). Wine Spectator calls it “complex and balanced… terrific intensity and freshness,” best from 2027–2043. For a more rugged snapshot, The Wine Independent (91) notes “rustic but firm” tannins and a finish where “the warmth of the alcohol dominates,” a reminder that this 2020 leans more on energy and youth than immediate plushness.