Italy · Tuscany

Lisini

Lisini is a historic Brunello di Montalcino estate on the southern slopes of Montalcino, with the Ugolaia vineyard — one of the appellation's most cited single vineyards — at its core. The Lisini family has owned the estate since 1903, and Ugolaia was one of the first single-vineyard Brunellos commercially released, establishing a benchmark for the concept of cru Brunello. Ugolaia dominates the auction record with 108 lots averaging $76 per bottle and the 2015 vintage most traded; the standard Brunello averages $88 across 26 lots and the Riserva $112 across 10 lots. Top prices have reached $523. The overall auction average of $78 reflects modest but consistent secondary market demand — Lisini operates in the mid-tier of Brunello rather than the trophy category of Biondi-Santi or Cerbaiona. The Ugolaia's southern slope exposure gives the wine a slightly richer, more generously textured character than cooler-facing Brunello vineyards. Lisini maintains a traditional winemaking approach: long maceration, large Slavonian oak botti aging, and extended bottle aging before release. The 2015 vintage, a warm year producing generous, opulent Brunello, is the estate's most recently active at auction.