Two
Sides of the Same Coin: 2023 and 2024 Rosso di Montalcino

BY ERIC GUIDO | MARCH 17, 2026Things are never dull in Montalcino these days. Long gone
are the years of cool and classic vintages. Instead, the region is faced with
unexpected, dramatic climate shifts that force winemakers to be more reactive
than proactive. Climate change can manifest as extremely wet seasons or
unexpected cold conditions just as often as they do as heat waves and drought. The
2023 and 2024 vintages brought opposite challenges. Are the wines good? Yes,
they certainly are. But achieving this level of quality required severe yield
reductions in the nail-biting 2023 growing season, and extreme vineyard
management and selection in 2024. These two years represent the height of
sacrifice and crucial decision-making on the part of producers, but the results
are often excellent.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1773170885757-Pian+dell%27Orino%27s+most+recent+aquisition+of+1.4+hectares+overlook+the+historic+Biondi-Santi+winery_Vinous.jpg">Pian dell'Orino's most recent acquisition of 1.4 hectares of vines overlooks the historic Biondi-Santi winery.Two thousand twenty-four was also the first year in which
winemakers could take advantage of the new Rosso expansion. Approved in June
2024, Montalcino opened up an additional 352 hectares of vineyard for Rosso,
bringing the total to 860 hectares. This expansion allows producers to use vineyards
previously designated as IGT Sangiovese and Sant’Antimo for Rosso di Montalcino
production. What’s more, it permits wineries to dissolve boundaries between
Rosso and Brunello vineyards, so that they can decide to use the fruit for one
or the other depending on the vintage. The expansion is based on each winery's
current production capacity: any producer with less than 10 hectares can increase their Rosso
production by 15%, while any producer with 10 to 20 hectares can increase by
15% on their first 10 hectares and by 10% on any additional hectares.



This
is a positive development in a region where maturing Sangiovese in oak for two
years or more for Brunello di Montalcino doesn’t always make sense in these
modern-day vintages. There have been many years where these new rules would have
allowed Montalcino wineries to make better wines, such as 2017, 2018, 2020 and
likely 2023. Consumers also benefit from greater quantities and better value,
especially as the price of Brunello continues to climb.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1773170822610-The+contrasts+between+2023+and+2024+Rosso+are+vast+but+each+provide+unqiue+pleasures_Vinous.jpg">The contrasts between the 2023 and 2024 vintages are stark, but each offers unique pleasures.The 2023
Vintage: Exceptionally Unique with Dismal QuantityI’ve written
numerous times about the turbulent 2023 vintage in Italy. Tuscany suffered just
as much as the rest of the peninsula, if not more in some cases. Constantly
overcast skies, three months of intermittent rain and localized severe hailstorms
resulted in disease, as well as a virulent outbreak of both powdery and downy
mildew. Conventional practices equipped many wineries with the proper sprays
and treatments to ward off the disease, resulting in an estimated yield
reduction of around 5% (according to Consorzio President Fabrizio Bindocci). Individual
producers shared significantly worse figures, including Sesta di Sopra and SanCarlo
at -10%, La Gerla at -15%, Uccelliera at -20%, La Magia at -40%, Donatella
Cinelli Colombini at -50% and Sanlorenzo at a shocking -70%.&nbsp;Any producer
using organic or biodynamic treatments suffered even more damage, as organic sprays
washed off the vines as soon as they were applied. Producers questioned how
much sulfur and copper they were willing to spray on their vines. Both
substances are ultimately unhealthy in large quantities for plants and soils.
Once the rain and overcast weather passed, Montalcino then contended with an
extremely warm summer. The residual moisture helped vines withstand the heat but
also escalated the risk of disease. Rain and cooler conditions from late August
into September were the season’s saving grace, but the damage had been done.
Harvests were late, and proper selection and sorting were essential to remove
mold. Northeastern and western Montalcino suffered more than the south. Wineries
with vineyards exclusively in the south or those with the ability to blend fruit
from southern vineyards with northern fruit were able to craft more balanced
wines. Fabian Schwarz of La Magia stated, “It was one of the most challenging
vintages we have faced.”





In
general, the 2023s are lightly structured, finessed and mineral-driven,
offering an almost old-school feel. Many 2023 Rossos benefited from the inclusion
of juice that would have typically gone into a producer’s Brunello. However, this
came with a tradeoff: wineries had to choose between making a high-quality
Brunello or a superior Rosso with what little fruit they had. The very small number
of Rosso submissions I received for review is quite telling of the reduction in
quantity. I expect most 2023 Rossos to drink well for three to five years, but I’m
sure there will be some happy surprises. Producers like Canalicchio di Sopra,
Collemattoni, Livio Sassetti - Pertimali, San Carlo, Sesta di Sopra, Siro
Pacenti and Tenuta Le Potazzine made exceptional wines.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1773170969891-Fonterenza+vineyards+in+the+southeast+of+Montalcino+just+north+of+Castelnuovo+dell%27Abate_Vinous.jpg">Fonterenza's vineyards in the southeast of Montalcino, just north of Castelnuovo dell'Abate.The 2024
Vintage: High Quantity and Classic FeelMost of the wines I’ve
tasted so far from the 2024 vintage are cool-toned and classic in feel, but the
2024s also run the risk of inconsistency. In actuality, 2024 was not a
cool and classic vintage, but the wines make it seem like one. There was more
rain than in 2023, but dry spells throughout the spring prevented any
significant issues with Peronospora. There was, however, a different problem—budbreak
and flowering were so successful that yields were off the charts. Large,
swollen bunches required multiple green harvests to maintain quality.To make matters
worse, heatwaves and dry conditions in August halted vine development for
weeks. This delayed harvest, for which many wineries were grateful, but it’s a
bit more complicated than that. September was unseasonably cold and rainy,
further hydrating the berries and pushing pick dates into October. While the
late harvest was marked by cooler temperatures and large diurnal shifts that
helped maintain acidity, I fear that less scrupulous wineries may have decided
to settle for the highest yields possible after the scarcity of 2023. Without
conscious selection and elimination of subpar fruit, this could translate into
watered-down, lackluster wines made from swollen berries.





The 2024s I’ve tasted so far balance vibrant red
fruit with an energetic, racy style and generally lower alcohol. They are easy
to drink and refreshing, Rossos to enjoy as Brunello ages in our cellars. The
entry-level tier is where the 2024 vintage excels, but where does that leave
the more prestigious Rossos? Consumers will vote with their dollars, but it
seems that the top-tier Rossos from 2023 may be a safer bet.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1773171024773-In+the+barrel+aging+room+of+the+Luce+winery+in+the+Southwest+of+Montalcino_Vinous.jpg">The barrel aging room at the Luce winery, in the southwest of Montalcino.Final ThoughtsIn both vintages, the
willingness to be selective in the vineyard and adaptive in the cellar was
paramount to making high-quality wines. When the 2023 and 2024 Brunellos are
released, expect that many will not have produced their single-vineyard (Vigne)
and Riserva wines. Shorter macerations and less intrusive oak treatments are
gaining popularity among more progressive producers, but any winemaker who
follows a cookie-cutter approach and relies solely on tradition with fruit from
2023 and 2024 risks unbalanced Brunellos. Only time will tell.



I tasted the wines for this article in
Montalcino in late 2025, with follow-up tastings in our New York office in
early 2026.© 2026, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/the-exquisite-2021-brunellos-nov-2025">The Exquisite 2021 Brunellos</a>, Eric Guido, November 2025<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/a-tale-of-two-extremes-the-2020-brunellos-and-2019-riservas-nov-2024">A Tale of Two Extremes: The 2020 Brunellos and 2019 Riservas</a>, Eric Guido, November 2024<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/the-magic-of-2022-rosso-di-montalcino-sep-2024">The Magic of 2022 Rosso di Montalcino</a>, Eric Guido, September 2024 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/buckle-your-seatbelts-2019-brunello-and-2021-rosso-di-montalcino-dec-2023">Buckle Your Seatbelts: 2019 Brunello and 2021 Rosso di Montalcino</a>, Eric Guido, December 2023

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