2020 Rosso di Montalcino

The 2018 vintage played right into the hands of Caroline Pobitzer and Jan Hendrik Erbach. The exotic florality and bright red fruit of the vintage, combined with Pian dell’Orino’s elegance and crystalline purity, have created something very special within the Vigneti di Versante, the only Brunello bottled in 2018. It’s a remarkably pretty Brunello with a classic feel and accessibility that will provide a long and open drinking window. This was also the first vintage in which the winery used an optical sorter in the selection process. Fans of Pian dell’Orino will not want to miss this, but readers should be aware the wine will enter the market only in the spring of 2024. Speaking of being patient, this recent visit also included a preview of the 2019s, which are already bottled yet won’t be released until 2025. Both the Vigneti di Versante and Bassolino di Sopra from 2019 are shaping up to be fantastic additions to this estate's body of work. I am repeatedly blown away by the depth and balance achieved within the Bassolino di Sopra, a wine that now flirts with perfection. Both wines will require extensive cellaring to hit their apex, while the estate’s killer Rosso di Montalcino holds readers over while waiting.