Few wine producing countries in the world are as naturally blessed as Italy. It’s home to hundreds of indigenous grape varieties, a genuinely long, uninterrupted history of winemaking, and more microclimates within individual regions than vast swaths of other countries. Once seen as the home of a few famous wines, typically needing lengthy aging, the work and enthusiasm of individuals such as Ian D´Agata (Italian wine expert and author of various books, including the superb Native Wine Grapes of Italy) and Walter Speller (Jancis Robinson’s Italy expert and host of one of the greatest ever tastings: Nebbiolo Day!) amongst others, not to mention passionate sommeliers and wine buyers, long ago opened the world to the sheer variety and quality at hand. Even in the days of Parkerization, the real beauty of Italy was never in the producers chasing the powerhouse style—despite the popularity of Super Tuscans—and with the more nuanced approach of wine enthusiasts today, the classic producers are more popular than ever. However, not every wine gets its fair due and there are still a great many secrets to be uncovered. This is a long way of saying that you probably aren’t paying enough attention to Rosso di Montalcino.

Rosso di Montalcino is usually described as the “little brother” of the bolder, more powerful Brunello di Montalcino, and traditional wine education teaches us that it is a wine for early drinking. More cynically, it has historically been regarded as a way for producers to free up money during the lengthy aging process for Brunello di Montalcino. (The old joke, “What does this smell like to you? To me it smells like cash flow” has been told in this warm region of Tuscany as often as it has in Beaujolais.) Undoubtedly, the economics of using younger vines, or inferior vineyards, to make a simpler wine are attractive for some producers, and a necessity for others. However, for those in the know, Rosso di Montalcino is a different prospect entirely and may just be the best kept secret in Tuscany. As always, it comes down to the producer. 

Both Rosso and Brunello are produced in the flatter, warmer area of Tuscany surrounding the picturesque town of Montalcino. Both are produced from the thick-skinned clone of Sangiovese, known as Sangiovese Grosso. The main differences come in the ambition and the aging. Brunello di Montalcino was historically a wine aged for long periods in oak barrels; today the reduced aging minimums are 28 months, split between a minimum of 24 months in oak and four months in bottle. Rosso di Montalcino, by comparison, requires only six months in oak before release. It’s worth bearing in mind that these are just the minimum requirements and many producers go over for both wines. Still, as a result, Rosso di Montalcino tends to be more supple, more fruit forward and considerably less tannic in youth. 

What we still overlook, even in 2024, is that bigger does not necessarily mean better. A quick look through my own wine collection reveals an awful lot more Rosso di Montalcino there than Brunello—and not because it's cheaper, because it very often isn’t. What it is, is a fresher, often more elegant style of wine. Sangiovese Grosso has an incredible depth of fruit that isn't often appreciated in long-aged Brunello, because by the time the wine is ready to drink, the flavors have evolved into a more savory style. Chianti Classico can be herbal with an alpine freshness, it can be dusty, it can be sour—but it never has the ripe core of cherry fruit that these warmer Montalcino vineyards bring out of the thicker-skinned clone. In youth, great Rossos often have a stunning florality to them as well, reminiscent of young Burgundy, with touches of the fresh, sappy herbal characters that became more pronounced with time in bottle. 

More practically, taking Rosso di Montalcino more seriously at a producer level may just be the solution to increasingly warm, dry summers. Since 2018, Brunello as a region has experienced one hot, dry year after another. Harvests can be brought forward, cold-soaks and maceration times can be adjusted to manage the condition of the grapes, but the ageing requirements are set in stone. As Eric Guido wrote in 2022, “The 2018 vintage will show many consumers how extended wood aging can strip a remarkably pretty and exotic vintage of some of its charms. Just like 2017, I believe we’ll see Rossos that show better than Brunellos within the same portfolio.” Two years later, his words have proven to be true with many Rossos retaining a charm and elegance that belies the intense heat of the year. 

My own revelation with Rosso di Montalcino came around eight years ago, tasting the wines of Stella di Campalto, arguably the unintentional champion of the category. I had seen her Rossos selling for around $75 a bottle which, at the time, felt scandalous. Then I tasted the 2013. I’ve been a fan ever since, despite the prices more than doubling in the years that followed as others made the same discovery. A key to this sheer quality is that di Campalto sources fruit from five biodynamic vineyards, all of which are capable of making world class Brunello di Montalcino. They are fermented and aged individually, and the resulting wines are then blended and bottled according to which will become single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcinos, which will become a Brunello from a mixture of vineyards, and which will become Rosso di Montalcino. In other words, the raw material is the same for all the wines. Stylistic differences indeed.

There is currently no “Rosso Superiore” or other classification that might give wine lovers an idea of which producers to follow. Frankly, if there were, it would only be a matter of time before larger producers found a way to game the system and make it meaningless, so buying wisely would still  come down to understanding individual producers, as it so often does. Most of the best producers treat their Rosso di Montalcino in the same way as di Campalto; the wines could become Brunello di Montalcino or Rosso. The truth is in the tasting: at Poggio di Sotto, this is done blind each vintage, with the wines deemed more “ready for drinking,” according to winemaker Luca Marrone, being bottled as Rosso di Montalcino. Biondi-Santi, arguably the most famous producer in the entire region, works on a similar philosophy. 

Baby Brunello it isn't, as much as lazy wine marketing would try to argue the case. Nor are these wines competing with Super Tuscans, which typically rely on the addition of French grape varieties to make the wines more attractive for international palates. Instead, the best Rosso di Montalcino is becoming known as an individual category. It's only a matter of time before someone coins a marketing term for these wines—“Super Rosso” or something equally predictable—but if you enjoy Sangiovese, do seek out some of the following bottles. They’re worth the effort.

Rossos to Seek Out

2016 Stella di Campalto Rosso di Montalcino ($245)

The magic of Stella and the 2016 shine through. So bright and lifted. Gorgeous purity of red fruits, herbs and flowers, fresh cherries, crushed violets, tarragon, and subtle spices. Cool elegance on the palate, despite the firm, grainy tannin. Really very special stuff, and the 2016 is a step up again from the already excellent 2015—these are wines I will be buying year in, year out, until I end up on the street. 

2018 Poggio di Sotto Rosso di Montalcino ($75)

Some wines lift you up. Others put you down. This is very much the former. Bright, vivid red fruits tumble out together; a medley of strawberry and cherry fruits mingled with touches of cedar, vanilla and a light, savory touch. There´s tannin here, but it's immaculately integrated and only offers the lightest of tugs on the palate. Effortlessly long. Great stuff! 

2020 Salvioni Rosso di Montalcino ($75) 

If you like fruit purity, this is a wine for you. A stunning array of cherry fruit at every level of ripeness, from tart cherry all the way through to falling-off-the-vine, complemented by touches of violets, sappy herbs, and cedar. Exuberant and energetic, with the fantastic natural acidity of Sangiovese animating the crystalline fruit quality further. 

2020 Camigliano Rosso di Montalcino ($19)

A bolder, darker-fruited style of Rosso di Montalcino. Black cherries, orange zest, anise, and touches of smoke from a more obvious oak regime, but still full of energy and verve. More red fruited on the palate, where the magic happens; mouthwatering acidity and the dried herbal quality that transports so many of us directly to Tuscany. Fantastic value. 

2020 Biondi-Santi Rosso di Montalcino ($100) 

An old-school style of Rosso from one of Italy’s most famous producers. Perfumed and red fruited, with more savory nuance than is typically found in a Rosso di Montalcino; warm earth, dried herbs, and a touch of cedar to complement the juicy red fruit. Firm, fresh, and still quite tight—this is a wine that will stand the test of time, though it's still delicious to drink now. 

2020 Argiano Rosso di Montalcino ($30)

If you ever needed convincing of the florality of Sangiovese, this is the wine for you. Absolutely stunning aromatics; rose petals, violets, and even a touch of potpourri around a core of cherry fruit, sappy herbs, and warm earth. Juicy and elegant, with a touch of sweet tobacco on the finish. Another outstanding value. but being overlooked for the last 20 years has arguably done its best producers a favor. They now emerge into a world of wine that is looking for exactly what they're producing., and delicate spices on the nose, but the beauty is all in the texture and the subtle weight on the palate. Superbly balanced.