Handford Wines

Enviably placed in the southern hills of Montalcino, the heart of one of the most interesting wine growing areas in Italy, this small estate has less than 9 acres of vineyards, upon which Guiseppe Maria Sesti first started to work his magic with the 1995 vintage. Guiseppe Maria Sesti has dedicated himself to various types of work and research over the years. After studying Art at the Accademia, he devoted himself to researching the lunisolar calendar systems. From here, he moved to further research on the Celestial Sphere and the ancient culture and mythology of the constellations. Throughout his studies, he was a frequent visitor to the vineyards and wine makers of the great producing areas of Treviso, Valdobbiadene, Veneto Orientale and Friuli, where he developed a life long passion for wine. In 1975 he moved, with his family, to Montalcino in the Sienese countryside where, as assistant director, he helped organise the baroque opera festival of Musica Nel Chiostro at Batignano, another of his passions, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. At the same time he bought this deserted hamlet and set about the restoration of it’s crumbling buildings and abandoned land. It was not until 1992 that he decided to plant his own vines, putting into practise the information on agriculture and winemaking that he had accumulated through his study of ancient astronomy and classical culture. With this knowledge and wisdom gained from observing Venetian and Tuscan winemakers, Sesti applies old cultural laws to modern methods, for example, re-evaluating the influence of the moon on wine and vines. To this end, all pruning and soil work is done during the correct phases of the moon, likewise all the work in the cellar, such as decanting and bottling, follows the moon cycles. The result has been, among others, that the quantity of sulphates used during clarification of the wine, has been greatly reduced in comparison with other producers, ensuring genuine premium full-bodied wines with great colour and nose, capable of travelling and kind in their after affects even when consumed in quantity. The Sangiovese cuttings are rigorously selected over a three year period from the best neighbouring vineyards and planted in two million year old tufaceous oceanic soil, ideal for the production of Brunello. Three stages of pruning ensure that only the highest quality grapes are harvested.

The Wine

The Sesti family uses the Sangiovese grapes that don't go into their highly sought-after Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino for this exceptionally good value red with its ripe, gamey flavours that linger in the month.

Single Bottle: £12.99

In a case of 12: £12.34