2003 Montecucco Rosso Riserva

This new estate was established by owner Claudio Tipa in 1999, and since then the wines have improved each year, with 2003 the best vintage yet. "Consider that the vineyards were only planted back in '99, so we still have a long way to go," said the energetic, likeable Tipa, who is a big fan of sangiovese. "But we do expect to improve a little bit every year. The soils here change every hundred meters, and so we have chosen to vinify the sangiovese from the different parcels separately: roughly, we have sangiovese on sand, sand and rock, iron-rich clay and limestone and clay soils." Tipa believes in the variety and plans to launch a new 100%-sangiovese Supertuscan called Lombrone in 2008. But he also believes in the fresh cherry appeal of ciliegiolo, and is planting more of this variety as well.