A maverick of Montalcino, owner and winemaker at Cupano, Lionel Cousins, sadly passed away this last weekend. A winemaker with so much talent that 'you’ll like practically every wine' he made in the eyes of Vinous's Ian D'Agata, he will be sorely missed.

A long time disciple and friend of Burgundy legend Henri Jayer, Lionel had a clear philosophy that the vine always came first. Everything he did was by hand, such as spending hours every day pruning bunches with a pair of nail scissors or carrying tonnes of rocks from the Ombrone River to give better support and drainage to his vines. His dedication was near unrivalled.

When Lionel and his wife Ornella Tondini planted Cupano's vineyards, it was on land that had been abandoned for 40 years meaning it had never been touched by chemical pesticides and fertilisers, resulting in incredible soil health. Today, the vineyards are certified organic and farmed biodynamically.

'His wines are worth their weight in gold' (Matthew Jukes), and this is certainly the case with the third edition of the Cupano Vino Rosso NV.

This is a unique, multi-vintage blend of Brunello di Montalcino from barrels that were not ready when they first bottled the 2015 and 2016 vintages, with some added 2018 to give freshness. Given the quality of these vintages in Montalcino, this really is a phenomenal release. It was also made in tiny quantities, with just 150 cases produced.

Always very approachable and utterly delicious, it has all the wonderful, captivating Brunello flavours we know and love. In fact, this is just like drinking mature Brunello di Montalcino. With warm sun-baked aromas, the palate is velvety with taut, finely-knit tannins. Precise, ripe plum fruit with Italian warmth and refined spiciness, with elegance and lift on the finish.

Also, for each new Vino Rosso release, famous french artist Gerard Fromanger paints a special new label. The sheer amount of effort that has gone into this tiny 150 case release really is remarkable and goes a short way to explaining why Lionel garnered the respect he did among the fine wine community.

Released at only £138 per case IB, this third edition of the Cupano Vino Rosso NV is a magical combination of the best recent vintages in the region at a lower price than most other estates' basic Brunello offerings. All Tuscan wine fans should be securing a case of this rare beauty.