Misunderstood and frequently overlooked, Rosso di Montalcino has long lived in the shadow of its Tuscan big brother, Brunello di Montalcino. But while Brunello enjoys global success and strong sales, Rosso is hiding in plain sight.
The Rosso DOC was created in 1983. The most important way in which it differs from Brunello is its shorter ageing period. The requirement for a minimum of two years of cask ageing for Brunello has resulted in some criticism about the wines ‘drying out’, especially in leaner vintages.
Rosso, on the other hand, only requires 10 months of ageing in total, and not necessarily in oak.
While most of the best Rossos are aged in large barrels for six to 12 months, adding some wood-aged character, primarily it delivers the ripe, expressive character of Montalcino’s famous Sangiovese variety.
Scroll down to see notes and scores for 20 Rosso di Montalcino wines to seek out
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"}
Jason Millar’s top 20 Rosso di Montalcino wines:
{}
{"wineId":"88183","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88184","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88185","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88186","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88187","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88188","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88189","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88190","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88191","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88192","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88193","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88194","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88195","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88196","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88197","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88198","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88199","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88200","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88201","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"81017","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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