2012 Rosso di Montalcino

Rosso di Montalcino is undoubtedly one of Italy’s true wine success stories of the last decade.  A wine I had all but given up on from the latter part of the ’90s to the early part of the 21st century, it has undergone a remarkable quality turnaround and is now one of Italy’s most interesting and dependable red wines.

Although it appears that the days in which Rosso was Brunello’s forgotten little brother are gone for good, it wasn't that long ago that producers were just going through the motions when making these considerably less expensive wines.  Clearly, before the global economic crisis clamped down hard, interest was focused on the much more popular, prestigious and remunerative Brunello.  Even worse, it seemed many producers had reduced their Rossos to being reservoirs for the poorest wine they had made in the vintage, and their lousiest barrels.  And so, more often than not, Rossos were tough, angular, bitter, dry and downright unpleasant to drink: with few exceptions, the best were little more than palatable.

Not so anymore:  due to a combination of the challenge of selling Brunello in today’s market, a new-found faith in the merits of sangiovese on the part of growers, and a generational shift at the helm of numerous Montalcino estates, Rossos have never been better than they are today.  In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that many Rosso di Montalcino wines can best some less-than-stellar Brunellos when tasted side by side and blind.