A great wine never comes about by chance. But, as in this case, it is often the result of painstaking research and careful experimentation. But let us proceed with order. We are talking about a Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, and this is already an indication of quality, produced by Villa Poggio Salvi. We are on the southern slope of the Montalcino hillside. Here the winery's technicians have subjected the 20 hectares of estate vineyards to a strict zoning process, identifying the plots with the best characteristics. This work resulted in Pomona, a woman's face and grape hair, the Roman goddess of fruit and symbol of the winery. In fact, the Sangiovese grapes come from a single 'cru', a plot considered to be the flagship of the most outstanding characteristics for Brunello di Montalcino. The grapes from this plot, where the plants have an average age of about 20 years, are harvested at the beginning of October, by hand in boxes, and vinified separately. It begins with a pre-maceration phase for 8 days, with fermentation at a controlled temperature. After racking, the wine matures for about 30 months in 30 hectolitre Slavonian oak casks, before bottling and a further period of refinement in glass of about 4 months. Brilliant ruby red in colour, the nose is pleasantly harmonious and intense, with nuances of red fruit and spices. In the mouth, then, it is complex and enveloping, with well-presented elegant tannins that guarantee long ageing. Moreover, the producers are ready to bet that, if stored well, a bottle of this Brunello can easily continue to evolve for over 30 years. All that remains is to try it.