Rosso di Montalcino in general presents one of the best deals of the wine world. The grape variety is Sangiovese, which tends to have higher tannins and acidity than found in most other reds and that's one of the reasons these are food wines. The grippy tannins and a sharp acidity may be overwhelming to the palate when the wine is consumed on its own, but the fat and the protein in the food counteract the tannins, and the salt decreases the perception of acidity.
Campogiovanni Rosso di Montalcino has all the juicy red cherry/berry notes of Sangiovese with just the right amount of fruit while still keeping its Old World notes of slight earthiness, baked clay notes and the savory and sweet herbs found in most Sangiovese wines.
What to do with this wine? Well... everything. Inexpensive enough to have it with a meat dish you've prepared at home, versatile enough to take to a dinner where you don't exactly know what will be served or who will be there, delicious but affordable enough to order at a restaurant.
Sangiovese grape is also found in Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino. Chianti Classico wines tend to be slightly more angular and have a bit less ripeness of fruit than the Rossi di Montalcino. Brunello is like the big brother of Rosso di Montalcino, both coming from the same area and being made from the same variety. As a general rule, Brunello takes a longer time to reach maturity and has more concentration and higher complexity than Rosso di Montalcino and tends to be considerably more expensive. All great reasons to drink those Rossi while waiting for the Brunelli to mature.















Comments