Under The Radar
Tuscany contains a wealth of red wine options. From the humble entry-level Chianti to the exquisite Super-Tuscans, there is no shortage of explorations. However, perhaps ‘under the radar’ are the reds, the Rossos, from the villages of Montalcino and Montepulciano.
The Sangiovese grape is the dominant varietal in this region.
In the heart of this region is the DOCG - Italian equivalent of France’s appellation controlée - of Brunello di Montalcino. With its warm and dry climate on the Tuscan coast, here the Sangiovese grape perfumed exceptionally well and created wines that could rival Piedmont’s Barolos for intensity and staying power. The cool, maritime breezes that waft in from the Mediterranean allow the Sangiovese to achieve maximum ripeness delivering wines with greater richness and structure than anywhere else in Tuscany.
The term ‘Brunello’ refers to the six to eight Sangiovese clones that are planted to create this exceptional wine, a process to identify these individual strains that started in the 1860s.
Rosso di Montalcino is the ‘younger’ cousin to Brunello di Montalcino: it is still grown from the same group of Sangiovese clones as the Brunello, but is aged for only a year before being released, and is designed to be much more approachable and ready for immediate consumption, although it will age gracefully when made by a good house and from a good vintage.
To the east of Montalcino sits the town of Montepulciano with their internationally renowned Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Again, the Rosso version of this wine is a superb entry point. The Sangiovese continues to perform majestically here, but there is only a requirement to have a minimum of 70% of this grape in the final blend, the balance being made up of a raft of permitted varietals.
Tasting notes on many of these wines refer to the flavour of plums being a consistent factor. Having tasted a few over theses sessions, I would entirely agree. Amongst many other scrummy flavours as well!
The panel tasted a number of wines from various merchants over two sessions, before settling on these two recommendations:
Cantine Dei Rosso di Montepulciano 2020
Lea & Sandeman, case price - £15.95
There is a compelling ‘drink me’ about this wine. Light flavours of cherries, plums and strawberries on the nose, with a straightforward vibrance on the palate of young fruit with light tannins and acidity. For enjoying today. An interesting estate now run by the grand daughter of the founder, Caterina Dei, who has been making the wine here since 1991. There is a collection of wines from this estate, available from L&S, that need further research.
Collemattoni Rosso di Montalcino 2019
Lea & Sandeman
Sadly, between the tasting sessions and sending this note, this wine has become out of stock at Lea & Sandeman. However, the one above is a good starting point for exploring the Sangiovese, and for more refinement, the one below is superb.
Ginestreto Fuligni Rosso di Montalcino 2020
Lea & Sandeman, case price - £27.95
Smooth, silky and rounded: utterly delicious. Full, richly concentrated nose with flavours of plum, violets, hints of mushrooms. On the palate, a controlled balance that has wonderful length. Wild berries and tannins abound with combinations of cherries, plums and herbs. What a wine to serve with a rich pasta sauce. Drinking very well today, but will definitely age for another 3-5 years.
