Wines from Tuscany | Montalcino

Dark ruby red with a delicately brightening rim. Elegant bouquet of dried cherries, followed by notes of chocolate and flowers. Radiant and juicy on the palate, showing pithy, savoury tannins, tightly woven, spanning a wide range. The zesty acidity provides a fantastic balance, while it finishes long and grippy with liquorice and a balsamic herbal flavour. All it needs is a little more time to fully develop. SUPERIORE.DE

At Podere le Ripi, the grapes for the Rosso di Montalcino are given more time in the cellar than elsewhere, making the wine more similar to a Brunello than a Rosso. Deep ruby red in colour with orange reflections. A captivating symphony of aromas on the nose, ranging from cherry, strawberry and violet to fresh balsamic herbs. On the palate, an impressive, broad structure, beautifully interwoven primary and secondary flavours, a fine minerality and a remarkably long finish. The longer ageing period really pays off! SUPERIORE.DE

Le Potazzine: this is the name given in Montalcino dialect to the little tits that flutter through the vineyards. It was the pet name given by a grandmother to her lively granddaughters: Viola and Sofia. Today, together with their mother Gigliola Giannetti, the two run one of the most purist wineries in the appellation. The vines grow at an altitude of 450 to 530 metres – sites that were once considered too cool and are now considered a blessing. This Sangiovese is the youthful entry: pure stainless steel ageing, twelve months, no oak, just the grape.

Very rarely do even the traditionalists relax their strict rules. Fuligni, synonymous with classic Brunello di Montalcino for over a century, has taken a step with this rosato that surprises and enchants – and enchants. Only around a thousand bottles of this Sangiovese rosé are produced, which grows on the north-eastern slopes of Montalcino, where the family has cultivated its vineyards since the beginning of the 20th century. Maria Flora Fuligni, who has managed the estate with philosophical calm since 1971, was guided by the joy of experimentation. The vinification follows the classic Rosato method: short maceration, gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel.

San Filippo is located in the east of Montalcino – the part of the region known for its particular elegance and longevity. Roberto Giannelli, who acquired the winery in 2003 and has consistently favoured organic cultivation and minimal wood intervention ever since, has developed a style with Oenologist Paolo Caciorgna that shows Sangiovese Grosso in its purest form. Lo Scorno is the opening to the first movement – accessible, direct and full of character.

Uccelliera's Rosso di Montalcino slowly comes to life with a beguiling blend of mentholated herbs, pine shavings and dried strawberries. It glides over the palate with a texture of pure silk, caressing everything it touches with ripe red fruits and rosy flowers accompanied by a lively acidity. Structured, powerful and long on the final – as always, it far exceeds its weight class and is a top-class Rosso di Montalcino. SUPERIORE.DE

Rossofonte impressively bridges the gap between Rosso di Montalcino and Brunello. Only 6,000 bottles of this selection are produced from the estate's best Rosso vineyards at an altitude of around 300 metres above sea level. Fruity aromas of ripe berries with balsamic notes on the nose, plus some brown spices, tobacco and wet stone. Overall, a multi-layered potpourri full of harmony flows from the glass. On the palate, it is very balanced, velvety-soft and the cooling acidity caresses the dark berries, which are rounded off with dried citrus fruits and a hint of mocha. The spicy and very elegant finish is reminiscent of star anise and pink pepper. SUPERIORE.DE

Six kilometres southwest of Montalcino, on calcareous clay soil at an altitude of around 130 metres, lies the Tenuta Pian delle Vigne – has been owned by the Marchesi Antinori since 1995 and has been their personal interpretation of one of Tuscany's biggest names ever since. The 2023 vintage came with a wet spring and a warm, dry summer – a season that demanded patience and rewarded fruit. Harvested from 11 September, by hand, healthy and aromatic. Pure Sangiovese, fermented in stainless steel, matured for twelve months in large wooden barrels: this is intentional, not a compromise. The wine should remain fresh, mineral and easy to drink. And it succeeds very well.

Standing in the shadow of great Brunellos is not an easy fate. The San Jacopo knows this fate – and makes the best of it. Fuligni himself calls it a "variation on the theme of Sangiovese", and that is exactly what it is: an elegant deviation from the strict rules, an experiment with freedom. 85% Sangiovese, obtained from younger clones from the various vineyards, meets 15% Merlot from the Bandita estate, where the tuff and clay soils are favourable to the international grape variety. Paolo Vagaggini, Fuligni's Oenologist for decades, vinifies the grapes separately and then blends them into a harmonious whole. Maturation takes place for around seven months in French tonneaux, which give the wine structure without dominating it.

With the acquisition of Tenuta Le Macioche in 2017, the Cotarella family fulfilled a dream: a foothold in prestigious Montalcino. The Sangiovese vines thrive on just 3.5 hectares in the southern quadrant of Sant'Antimo, where Galestro, slate and clay form the subsoil at an altitude of 450 metres. The name of the estate is derived from the Corbezzolo bushes, whose roots are called "macioca" in the Tuscan dialect – a symbol of deep roots in the terroir. The Rosso di Montalcino is the more accessible brother of Brunello, ready to drink earlier: 100 per cent Sangiovese, fermented in stainless steel after selective hand-picking and then matured for twelve months in Liters tonneaux. The Mediterranean climate with continental influences and the strong thermal fluctuations between day and night give the wine its characteristic aromatic precision.

Canalicchio di Sopras Rosso di Montalcino comes mainly from the vineyards of the Cru Canalicchio with soils that have a pronounced clay component and are very rich in intermediate elements such as magnesium, iron and manganese. Depending on the vintage and climate, a small proportion may also come from the Cru Montosoli, where the presence of marl ensures juiciness and minerality.

The grapes for Poggio Anticos Rosso have always come from 100% Brunello vineyards and the wine is a real insider tip for Montalcino lovers. Several of the vineyards have been certified organic since 2022. After some aeration, it beguiles the nose with an overwhelming bouquet of spices, ripe red cherries and fine leather notes. Full, firm and fleshy on the palate, the structure is very polished and balanced. A Rosso that could easily be a Brunello with a little patience and further bottle ageing: precise, delicious and with a beautiful, long final full of depth and a delightful aftertaste. SUPERIORE.DE

Rossofonte is no ordinary Rosso. It is a rigorous selection from a single vineyard, as close to Brunello as the appellation allows. Since the first vintage (2014), it has shown what Sangiovese can achieve in Castelnuovo dell'Abate if it is given time and attention. Hand-picked grapes, extended ageing in Slavonian oak barrels. Wild cherry, ripe berries, balsamic notes of tobacco, cedar wood, mint and lavender on the nose. On the palate, sweetness and acidity alternate in an elegant interplay, fine, powdery tannins carry the final with nuances of star anise and pink pepper. A convincing and deep Rosso with Brunello ambitions. SUPERIORE.DE

Long before Andrea Cortonesi bottled his first Brunello, his family cultivated the olive groves around Castelnuovo dell'Abate. The cultivation of olives is part of the very fabric of life here – rooted in the same soil from which his wines come. Classic Tuscan varieties: Frantoio brings structure and flavour, Moraiolo the dark fruit and depth, Leccino the smoothness on the finish. The grapes are harvested by hand in November when the fruit is still firmly attached to the branch – cold pressing immediately afterwards, without delay.

Nearco was unbeatable. 14 starts, 14 wins – derby Italiano, Grand Prix de Paris, and everything in between. Piedmontese breeder Federico Tesio had bred him in 1935 and knew he had something extraordinary on his hands. As war approached, Tesio sold the horse to England for a then world-record £60,000. The British were so impressed that they built Nearco a bomb-proof bunker. Today, he is the genetic ancestor of almost all modern thoroughbreds – from Northern Dancer to Secretariat, from Frankel to Sea the Stars.

Gauggiole comes from a single vineyard in the north-east of the Castiglion del Bosco estate and is vinified exclusively in concrete barrels. Bright, lively red. On the nose, fresh red berry fruits with delicate herbal notes. Well structured in the mouth with cool red fruit flavours like cherry, floral nuances of violet and peppery notes on the finish. Well balanced on the palate with fine tannins and good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Medium ruby red. Opens with ripe fruit notes of redcurrants, wild cherries and dried raspberries, then grilled herbs and liquorice in the background. This Rosso is more powerful and opulent than many of its competitors, almost reaching the intensity of a Brunello. Nevertheless, the aromas are more precise than one would expect from a young red wine. The delicate tannin has reached a certain stage of maturity and finds a lively ally in the well-proportioned acidity, which keeps the flavour development going for all eternity. SUPERIORE.DE

Intense bouquet of crushed rocks and exotic spices that fade into black cherries. Velvety and supple on the palate with a dense wave of mineral wild berries carried by a lively acidity. final savoury and with lovely tension, leaving an echo of primary notes. Wonderful complexity and depth - and again and again this freshness, which undisputedly comes from the unique altitude of the vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

Gauggiole comes from a single vineyard in the north-east of the Castiglion del Bosco estate and is matured exclusively in concrete vats. Bright, lively red colour. Fresh red berries with delicate herbal notes on the nose. Well-structured in the mouth with cool flavours of red fruits such as cherry, floral nuances of violets and peppery notes on the finish. Well-balanced on the palate, with fine tannins and good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE