Rocca delle Macie Esperienza Numero 8 Rosso di Montalcino 2020 - Tuscany, Italy

Winemaker "The Tuscan wine Rosso Esipendenza N. 8 has an intense ruby red color with purple hues in the glass. Intense and persistent bouquet with hints of fresh fruit and flowers. Dry flavor with good structure. Medium-structured wine, young and particularly suitable with first courses.'

Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973, when film producer Italo Zingarelli – of Ettore Scola’s “We All Loved Each Other So Much” fame, and also the wildly popular series of films featuring comedy duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (including “They Call Me Trinity” and “Trinity Is Still My Name”) – decided to realize his lifelong dream by acquiring the “Le Macìe” estate – extending across 93 hectares (230 acres) in all, of which only two were under vine – in order to create a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.

The estate now extends to more than 500 hectares (1250 acres) with, in total, more than 200 (500 acres) used as vineyards and 22 (54 acres) as olive groves, subdivided across the company’s six estates: Le Macìe, Sant’Alfonso, Fizzano e le Tavolelle in the Chianti Classico Area, in addition to the Campomaccione and Casa Maria estates in the Morellino di Scansano Area (Maremma).

The Chianti region in Italy's Tuscany wine growing region is split between Chianti and Chianti Classico. Accordingly, two separate DOCG designations apply to wines from the Chianti region: the Chianti Classico DOCG for the heartland of Chianti, and Chianti DOCG for all other Chianti regions. (In 1984, the Chianti region was promoted from DOC to DOCG - Italy’s highest classification - and in 1996, Chianti Classico - the historic heartland of the region - DOCG was created, which gave autonomy to that region. In the last 20 years, a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.” The typical Chianti Classico wine is a ruby-red, Sangiovese-based wine with aromas of violets and cherries and a hint of earthy spice.

The Chianti DOCG designation covers wines from six Chianti sub-zones (Colli Pisane, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Montalbano and Rufina) as well as all other Chianti wines. The Chianti Classico DOCG is located in the very center of Tuscany, between Florence and Sienna.

A Unesco World Heritage site since 2004, Montalcino is an isolated hilltop village of austere, rural beauty with an intoxicating view over the surrounding valleys of Orcia, Ombrone and Asso. It lies up to 500 metres above sea level, 40 kilometres south of Siena and around 50km from the coast. It is sheltered to the southeast by the inactive volcano, Mount Amiata, one of the highest mountains in Tuscany.

The area where the wines of Montalcino are produced coincides with the historical borders of the Municipality of Montalcino, covering a surface area of 24,000 hectares, only 15% of which is planted with vineyards. The vineyards are the same for Rosso and Brunello, indeed Rosso is often a byproduct of Brunello. However there are 500 hectares where only Rosso is allowed – while all the grapes able to produce Brunello can be declassified to make Rosso, the reverse is not true.

Once called ‘Vermiglio’ (vermilion), Rosso di Montalcino is a dry, fruity red wine produced in the village of Montalcino in Tuscany. Rosso comes from the same area of origin as the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino, sharing the same Mediterranean climate and also based on 100% Sangiovese. However, Rosso di Montalcino is released sooner and is therefore more youthful than Brunello. Rosso di Montalcino has had its own DOC since 1983. Lighter and less extracted than Brunello, the best examples of Rosso di Montalcino. Given the Mediterranean climate, Rosso di Montalcino tends to have more moderate acidity compared to other Sangiovese wines from Tuscany such as Chianti, Chianti Classico, or even Rosso di Montepulciano, which explains its extraordinary drinkability. At the same time, it is often a bit more complex compared to Sangiovese from Maremma, just on the other side of the Orcia river.