Writing these offers every day means constantly bouncing between poles. There are the tightly allocated, big-reputation bottles that require a more reverential tone, then the next day we’re talking up something easy-drinking, authentic, and inexpensive. So, for Failoni’s Rosso Piceno, I’m breaking out my appreciative tone.

I’ll be honest: I get a lot more excited for wines like this than for the blue-chip collectibles. It’s a big achievement to produce a balanced, bottle-aged red with a palpable sense of “somewhereness” at this price point, and when I think of the mass of sweet, simple, soulless reds crowding most store shelves, I appreciate this Italian beauty that much more. Grown near the Adriatic Coast of Italy’s Marche region, and highlighting the charms of one of Italy’s greatest opposites-attract blends—Montepulciano and Sangiovese—this Rosso Piceno is everyday wine, elevated. As I’ve said many times before, there’s no reason to settle for mass-produced mediocrity when there’s a Failoni around every corner. You just need to take the time to look, or, in this case, let us do the looking for you.

I’m especially happy to do the looking when it involves the Marche, one of Italy’s most unsung wine regions. We’re starting to the Marche’s signature white grape, Verdicchio, attract some major critical acclaim, while its best-known red-wine appellations, Rosso Piceno and Rosso Cònero, rely on the symbiotic fusion of Sangiovese and Montepulciano. Rosso Piceno is so named for the spectacular town of Ascoli Piceno, which sits in the hills along the Marche region’s border with Abruzzo, about midway down Italy’s Adriatic Coast. Not only is this a viticultural ‘meet-up’ point for the Sangiovese and Montepulciano varieties, it’s a kind of Italian Mason-Dixon line marking the transition from “north” to “south.” At one time, Ascoli Piceno was a key Roman outpost, not far from the ancient Via Salaria (“salt road”) that connected Rome to the Adriatic. The vineyards of the Piceno area are nestled between the Apennine Mountains (which form a natural border with Umbria to the west) and the Adriatic Sea, and are exposed to climate-moderating currents from both.

Stylistically, many of the reds of both Rosso Piceno and Rosso Cònero (located further north, near Ancona) have gravitated toward the inkier, plumper end of the spectrum, with the Montepulciano claiming the dominant percentage in the blend. And while Antonio Failoni may consider Montepulciano the more Marchigiano variety, this Rosso Piceno presents it alongside Sangiovese in equal proportions—and it works beautifully. The spicy, high-acid Sangiovese luxuriates in Montepulciano’s soft, fruity embrace, the result being a red that is soft, juicy, and full of lively energy. It’s a blended wine that illustrates well why people choose to make blended wines.

Failoni took a long, patient path to this moment: He has assembled his small estate over the course of 25 years, amassing 4.5 hectares of vineyards he planted by hand. He follows organic practices but is not yet certified, aiming for purity and finesse rather than fruit-bomb extraction. This 2016 was fermented in stainless steel and aged for one year in 30-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks, and even after some bottle age it thrums with youthful energy. It shines garnet/ruby in the glass, moving to pink at rim, with a nice push-pull of black and red fruits (black cherry, red currant, wild strawberry) mixing with notes of licorice, black pepper, forest floor, and violets. It is medium-bodied and beautifully knit—not a hair out of place—with soft tannins and nice freshness. Pull the cork and give is splash-decant before serving at 60 degrees (or cooler) in Bordeaux stems, and you’ve got your summer red situation on lock. Burgers, steaks, barbecued chicken, ribs…this is the grill side companion you need, and it’s priced for by-the-case acquisitions. Andiamo!