This wine had me re-considering how we should talk and think about Rosso di Montalcino.
Most sommeliers, critics, etc. default immediately to the ‘baby Brunello’ line: how Rosso is the ‘little brother’ wine to drink while you wait for the weightier, longer-aged, more ‘serious’ Brunellos to come around. And while it may, in fact, be ‘baby Brunello’ (Rosso di Montalcino is, like Brunello, 100% Sangiovese, but is released sooner and designed for earlier, easier drinking), that moniker gives short shrift to Rosso as a serious wine unto itself. As I tasted – swooned over, actually – Livio Sassetti’s 2014 Rosso di Montalcino, I wasn’t thinking about what their ’14 Brunello will be like (though it’ll probably be awesome); I was thinking about how beautifully this Rosso stands on its own merits. It’s a complex, fleshy, complete wine, from a noble grape grown on what amounts to ‘grand cru’ terroir in Montalcino. What more could you ask for, especially at this price?
Two wineries with the name ‘Sassetti’ – Livio and Angelo – work their own pieces of the farm historically known as “Pertimali,” which occupies part of Montalcino’s famed “Montosoli” vineyard. Although Montalcino isn’t known for having much of the vineyard-designate culture that defines Barolo, or Burgundy, Montosoli’s ‘cru’ status was given voice by the Altesino winery, which has bottled a vineyard-designate wine from the site since the late seventies. Located on the north slope of the Montalcino zone, Montosoli nevertheless boasts 360-degree exposures, so while it does showcase the prettier, more aromatic ‘north slope’ personality of Sangiovese, there’s also plenty of power there.
Two things came immediately to my mind as I kept returning to this wine: (1) that great producers make great wines in not-so-great vintages (2014 didn’t get high marks, which will come as a surprise when you drink this one); and (2) that Rosso di Montalcino like this may be the ultimate honest expression of the Sangiovese grape. Chianti devotees would argue that point – and make a convincing case – but Chiantis are most often blends, while Rosso di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese. Montalcino is considerably further south of the Chianti Classico, resulting in Sangioveses that are often a little too bulky to show their best, but in the hands of a producer like Sassetti you get the Montalcino generosity – texture and concentration – while preserving the aromatic high notes that invite comparisons to great Pinot Noir and Grenache.
Furthermore, Rosso di Montalcino is much less impacted by oak: the wine is released the September after the vintage, typically spending about six months in barrel (if at all), as opposed to Brunello, which spends a minimum of 2 years in oak (and an extended period in bottle) before release. Rosso di Montalcino is Sangiovese relatively unadorned, and in this wine it works just beautifully: it leads with Sangiovese’s classic dried rose petal/dried black cherry aromatics, while on the palate there’s plenty of concentration without an excess, syrupy weight. On the palate, it’s a brambly tangle of Bing cherry, black raspberry, and red currant, ripe but not raisined, woodsy and smoky but not ‘oaky.’ It’s got energy, depth, length…it’s not a ‘baby’ anything. This thing is fully grown and deliciously balanced.
Serve this medium-bodied beauty in large Bordeaux stems, at about 60-65 degrees, and pair it with something hearty but not overpowering – game, in particular, would be a great choice, be it quail, or squab, or even something lighter like rabbit. Another Tuscan item more readily available in markets these days is wild boar, which of course makes the ultimate Tuscan ragù for pasta. There’s plenty of wine here to tame it, so don’t be shy!
