Collosorbo 'Rosso di Montalcino' Sangiovese 2019 - Tuscany, Italy

93/100 James Suckling (2016 Vintage)
90/100 Robert Parker ~ Wine Advocate (2016 Vintage)

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

James Suckling "Offers more concentration on the nose with mostly notes of blackberry pie, plum cake and even some Christmas pudding. On the palate, the fruit is melded beautifully with chewy yet tight tannins and taut acidity. Great stuff for what it is." (2016 Vintage)

Robert Parker "The 2016 Rosso di Montalcino opens to a bright ruby colour with purple highlights. The wine is youthful and bright in personality with a full load of plump cherry and ripe blackberry. You also get hints of spice, crushed mineral and balsam herb to round off the bouquet. The mouthfeel is rich, generous and nicely structured. This is an excellent value buy (55,000 bottles were made).” (2016 Vintage)

The Winemaker "A traditional, fresh velvety wine, Rosso di Montalcino comes from the Estate’s best vineyards, the same that produce Brunello. It is made from 100% Sangiovese with persistent, fruity aromas and considerable structure. This is a very versatile wine suitable for average periods of aging." (2016 Vintage)

The Tenuti di Collosorbo has been owned by the Ciacci family since 1850. The first bottle of Brunello di Montalcino was made in 1966 by Giuseppe Ciacci, a progenitor of the first of the three generations of this winery. Now Giovanna Ciacci and her daughters, oenologist Laura and agronomist, Lucia Sutera Sardo, operate the vineyard and winery, assisted by esteemed oenologist Paolo Caciorgna and cellar master, Daniele Guidotti, who has been in charge of the Tenuta's winery for more than twenty years and is considered one of the family.

The region of Rosso di Montalcino is found in the same defined area as its bigger brother, the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. Both are situated in the heart of Tuscany, in central Italy. This DOC was created in 1984 in order to make the most of the fruit from younger vines of new plantings. The idea was to create a fresher style of wine that needed considerably less ageing time (one year with only six months in oak) than its sibling.

Sangiovese (or Nielluccio in Corsica), a dark-berried vine, is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Virtually synonymous with the red wines of Tuscany, and all the romanticism that goes with the territory, Sangiovese is the core constituent in some of the great names in Italian wine. Italy's love affair with Sangiovese – and indeed the world's – is generations old, though recent grapevine research suggests the variety is not as ancient as once thought.