The fundamental premise of Rosso di Montalcino is about as appealing as it gets: Source prime Sangiovese from the same vineyards that supply your Brunello di Montalcino, but age it for a much shorter period in oak (if at all) and release it to the market the year after the vintage—at a fraction of the price of the Brunello. Who doesn’t take that deal?
In my opinion, it’s one of the best in all of wine, because a proper Rosso di Montalcino like today’s ’18 from La Màgia may be half the price of its Brunello sibling, but it is hardly half the wine. Don’t get me wrong: “Half” of a top-tier Brunello di Montalcino is still going to outclass countless “wholes” from around the world (many of them much more expensive, no less), and frankly, sometimes the lighter, less oak-influenced expressions of Sangiovese are the ones I prefer. I know there are plenty of sommeliers who share that opinion, because Rosso di Montalcino’s unparalleled price/quality relationship makes it perhaps the ultimate restaurant wine: You can put something with real character on the table—a truly distinctive, terroir-expressive red, redolent of the dense forests that surround the Montalcino hill—at an incredible price. The La Màgia estate not only boasts one of the most dramatic vineyard panoramas in Montalcino, it is all about the spice, energy, and woodland savor of traditionally crafted Sangiovese. It would be impossible to cram more authentic character and superior quality into a $29 bottle. It can’t be done!
I was very excited to ‘re-connect’ with the La Màgia wines a little over a year ago at a tasting in San Francisco. I’d always remembered this small estate as being one of Montalcino’s great “traditionalists” but one with a wavering presence in the US market. The estate was founded in the early 1970s by Harald Schwarz, a native of the Alto Adige region who was blown away by Montalcino’s natural beauty; the La Màgia vineyards reach to about 450 meters’ elevation on the southeastern slope of the Montalcino hill, looking down at the famed Abbey of Sant’Antimo and the key natural landmark of the region, Monte Amiata, further to the south. The family’s crown jewel, now overseen by Harald’s son, Fabian, is a contiguous 15-hectare block of Sangiovese vines exceeding 40 years of age.
Fabian studied at the Istituto Agrario San Michele all’Adige, in his father’s home region, which is arguably the most prestigious enology school in Italy—but the La Màgia wines are all about transparency and varietal trueness. Whether it’s Brunello or Rosso di Montalcino, these wines hew to the more traditional dimensions of Sangiovese—they’re a lighter garnet-red color, with more of an emphasis on perfume and tension than power and extract. In other words, they taste of the place, not of the winemaker or his chosen aging vessel.
Today’s 2018 did age about nine months in used oak tonneaux (500L) and larger casks of 40- and 70-hectoliter capacity before bottling, infusing the wine with a subtle hint of warm spice. Otherwise, it’s all wild-berry fruit, earth, leather, and smoke. Red fruits like cranberry, currant, and wild strawberry are complemented by a vast array or more-savory sensations, like leather, underbrush, grilled herbs, tobacco, and roses. For me it is the perfect weight for a Rosso di Montalcino—which is to say relatively lightweight and full of mouth-watering tension. Decant this wine 30 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees and you’ll be hard-pressed to remember the last time you paid this little for this much wine. Pairing it with a Tuscan-style ribeye steak or a ragù-topped pasta will only heighten its already considerable appeal. This is everything you want Rosso di Montalcino to be, which is a lot. Enjoy!
