Buying a wine from Bolsignano is like buying a custom-tailored suit for an off-the-rack price—maybe even less. There’s no excess weight or heavy oak influence in Rubegnis Brunello or Rosso, just resonant chords of black and red cherry fruit and a cascade of mineral/earth notes that make me yearn for a return trip to Tuscany. Rubegni is a one-man show who does two things—Sangiovese wine and extra-virgin olive oil—and does them very well. 

Rubegni’s wines are crafted in a style that is worlds away from the engineered, magenta sheen of many “modern” Montalcino reds. The process begins in a small vineyard that doubles as the Rubegni family’s backyard. Roberto is a passionate student and expert in organic viticulture, his is one of the most painstakingly farmed vineyards in Montalcino. Teeming with butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and rabbits, it is an oasis of biological activity and harmony. Roberto spends most days in denim coveralls, tending the vines, personally monitoring the progress of each wine, and doing everything possible to ensure that his small farm remains a hospitable home for flora, fauna, and impressive Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino.

This ’20 captures the spirit of Rosso di Montalcino perfectly: It is bright, lifted, and fruit-first, having spent just six months aging in used oak casks before bottling. But don’t confuse “bright” with “light.” It’s a solid medium, leaning toward medium-plus, in body, with nice tension and firm structure. There’s enough wine here that you won’t miss the Brunello (although that, too, is one of Montalcino’s best-in-class values). It pours a luminous garnet red moving to a pink rim, with aromas of red and black cherry, currants, blackberry, black plum, anise, rose petals, underbrush, aromatic herbs, and sandalwood. Serve this at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux stems after a 30-minute decant and you’re covered not just now but over the next 3-5 years, maybe more. Check out the very woodsy, seasonally appealing pasta recipe we’ve attached here, and start pulling corks as soon as possible. It’s just too easy!