Rosso di Montalcino Sangiovese

Truncated notes: beautifully ripe fruit. Soft and vibrant. Rich.

Popped and poured. The 2019 Terre Nere, Rosso di Montalcino, pours a deep, garnet color with a nearly transparent core. Medium+ viscosity with very moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment or particles. On the nose, powerful aromas of ripe Morello Cherry, blood orange, licorice, porchini, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, red flowers, fresh green herbs, and maybe the faintest hint of baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dr with medium+ tannin, medium+ acid, medium+ alcohol…pretty much medium+ across-the-board. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory…maybe a touch hot for my liking but there is a lot to enjoy here. Though I sense this is a bit more modern than previous vintages, it’s another lovely RdM from this producer. FWIW, their BdM’s lean more traditional and they are outstanding. Drink now through 2030.

Love this Rosso. One of the best.

Surprisingly intense and complex for a Rosso!

See my prior notes on this. Nice wine to accompany an Italian meal.

Quite a vigorous mouthful. Loads of extracted, crunchy macerated cherry fruit. Some warm, stony gravel scent, and a light herbal note like fresh oregano leaf. Full and assertive in the mouth. Lots of fruit but bigger and more structured than I expected. Some youthful tannin in the lengthy finish. Drink now if you want vigorous, but it should settle down nicely over the next year.

Popped and poured, consumed over three days; best on day two and three. The 2017 Rosso pours a brilliant garnet color with a translucent core and a watery rim. Medium viscosity with very little to no staining of the tears. No signs of sediment or particles. On the nose, the wine is medium intensity. Redolent with cherries, red rope licorice, dusty earth, dried herbs, a slight touch of baking spices, and red flowers. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the red cherry fruits, green herbs and baking space. There’s also a bit of bergamot and black tea. The finish is long and very delicious. Overall, a wine of freshness too. Another beauty by a very underrated producer.

It’s been about 6 months since I last checked in on the 2016 vintage of Terre Nere’s Rosso di Montalcino. I was very impressed with the wine on release and I’m falling for how this wine is developing! Popped and poured; consumed during the duration of our Tuscan-inspired dinner. In the glass, a bright ruby with medium viscosity. Medium+ intensity. On the nose, waxy bing cherry fruit, flower shop, medium-aged Manchego cheese, bergamot, and dusty attic. I could smell this wine for hours and be satisfied! On the palate, a mix of red and dark cherry fruit, Earl Grey tea, tomato, orange citrus rind, and dusty earth. The freshness of this wine is simply awesome. Loads of structure for an RdM (some Brunellos may be jealous)…but it could also just be 2016 being 2016. The finish is long and as it lingers, comes across slightly saline. A fabulous wine with a long and exciting future.

I brought this bottle to the Tasting Group and served double-blind. Popped and poured. Deep, translucent ruby with a watery rim. On the nose: red cherries, dried herbs, Earl Grey, dusty earth and a hint of baking spice. On the palate: again with the red cherries, black tea, and dried herbs. Medium tannins and good acid. Impeccable balance. Finish is long and a touch savory. One taster remarked that it reminded him of Montevertine (whoa, he was close!). Pound for pound, one of the best Rosso’s coming from Montalcino that can be had at any price and this can be had under $30 all day. The 2016 is a fire cracker in its youth and delivering the goods right now. A contrast to the 2015 which, to my palate, was a touch flabby. Absolutely charming.

This has slightly evolved since the last bottle and the ripeness of the vintage is beginning to show itself. Lacking complexity now, this bottle was all mixed berries on the nose; red, blue and black fruits in abundance. Same thing on the palate. Just a touch of a jammy thing going on but not heavy by any means. Fairly well balanced though. Paired well with Pasta alla Roma made with garden San Marzano tomatoes and two varieties of Eggplant. Consistently good value if not terribly exciting. I don’t get the feeling there’s sufficient structure to make old bones. A quaffer now so I would drink now. Two bottles remaining of my original half case.