TN: Can Rosso di Montalcino age?

So, this Italophile friend of mine (that I’ve mentioned in some of my earlier tasting posts) threw yet another tasting in September.

This time the theme was “Does Rosso di Montalcino age? Can these wines be aged?” - and it was certainly a good question to introduce the tasting theme with, since normally these wines are referred to as wines one can drink when Brunello is still aging. After all, most producers state that their Rossos really do not age and should be drink pretty young, preferably within something like 5-7 years from the vintage. Thus, logically, this tasting included only wines that were 8 years from the vintage or older. Most producers were represented only by one wine, but we had also a few mini-verticals comprised of 2 or 3 different vintages.

Before this tasting I had some differing impressions on the ageability of Rosso di Montalcino. On one hand, many of the Rosso di Montalcinos I’ve had have felt pretty much like Brunellos, only with less weight and concentration - but still showing very similar sense of structure that would promise good cellaring potential. However, I’ve had some older Rosso di Montalcinos - and a good amount of Brunelli as well - that haven’t seemed to age that gracefully. Somehow the wines can often be remarkably tightly-knit and seriously structured even after a few decades, but the fruit deparment might be at the same time giving up already. Although many Montalcino wines seem to show much promise aging-wise in their youth, it’s quite often I find myself disappointed how the wines perform with age. While a good handful of Montalcino producers make very impressive wines that can age like crazy, it seems that Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino are not styles that age as logn and as reliably as, say, Chianti Classico.

So, what did I learn in this tasting? Well, to be honest: nothing new. These wines really are quite unreliable when it comes to aging. Some wines less than 10 years old showed quite a bit of age, while others were in a beautiful, relatively youthful spot at 15-20 years of age. The styles were also quite all over the place, ranging from very modern, heavily oaked style to very fresh, delicate and almost Burgundian style to very serious and savory, Brunello-like style. I guess the old Burgundy adage is true here as well: the three most important aspects to keep in mind when looking for a good wine are producer, producer and producer.
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After the reds we had two 2010 Rieslings to close the night.
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The tasting notes:

  • 2012 Azienda Agricola Le Ragnaie Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    An organic Rosso di Montalcino, fermented spontaneously and macerated for 30 days on the skins in concrete tanks, after which the wine is pressed into Slavonian 2500-liter botti casks to age for 24 months. 14% alcohol.

Moderately translucent pomegranate red color with a developed figgy hue. Vibrant, sunny and slightly evolved nose with aromas of wizened cherries, some sweet figgy fruit, a little bit of lifted VA, light raisiny tones, a hint of leather and a touch of bloody meat. The wine is ripe and very juicy on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and pretty intense flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some tart lingonberries, a little bit of ripe cranberry, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of volatile lift and a touch of brambly raspberry. The streak of sour cherry bitterness seems to grow towards the finish, while the high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the mouthfeel. The overall feel is quite tough and tightly-knit with the high acidity and moderately grippy medium tannins. The finish is noticeably bitter, somewhat grippy and quite lengthy with intense flavors of sour cherries, tart lingonberries, some leathery notes, a little bit of dusty earth, light crunchy cranberry tones, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of balsamic VA.

A nice and sophisticated Rosso di Montalcino with a dead-serious, structure-driven overall feel. There’s some sense of evolution here, as the fruit flavors are starting to show some raisiny tertiary notes, but structurally the wine is still very much a mere baby as the tannins are still very much unresolved and the taste is pretty much dominated by a quite prominent streak of sour cherry bitterness, which is accentuated by the high acidity. This is quite enjoyable stuff, if you like your Sangiovese very tough, angular and old-school in style. However, I wouldn’t call this particularly approachable or drinkable - at least not yet. As a whole, the wine is pretty similar to a classic, traditionalist Chianti Classico with some age. Most likely the wine will continue to improve for some years and keep for many years longer. Good stuff. (90 pts.)

  • 2012 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    Made with the fruit sourced from younger Sangiovese vines. Fermented in stainless steel and concrete tanks, aged in Slavonian 2000-to-8500-liter botti casks. 14,5% alcohol.

Quite dark and still rather youthful cherry red color. Savory, earthy and somewhat distinctive nose with aromas of ripe damsons, cherry pits, some fresh red plums, a little bit of balsamic VA and a sappy hint of birch leaves. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and firm yet juicy on the palate with very dry flavors of sour cherries and cherry juice, some sweet dark plums, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light notes of woody spice, light raisiny tones, a hint of cherry pit and a touch of balsamic VA. The overall feel is pretty structured and tightly-knit with the moderately high acidity and quite assertive tannins that offer moderate grip to the gums. The finish is juicy, moderately tannic and somewhat warm with dry, crunchy flavors of sour cherries, some cherry pits, a little bit of wizened fig, light sanguine notes of iron, a hint of dry old leather and a touch of earth.

A ripe, sturdy and still pretty tightly-knit Rosso di Montalcino that has resolved fairly little despite its age. Many people said they found the wine quite oaky with somewhat chocolatey tones, but I really didn’t find much oak here - the sweeter tones were more on the cherry pit and balsamic VA side of things, which might lend a similar sweet edge to the fruit as toasty oak, I guess. This was an enjoyable and nicely structured effort, but despite its characterful aromas, it still came across as a bit linear and pedestrian in style with maybe a bit too prominent alcohol. Seeing how pretty youthful the wine was, I can imagine this will improve at least a handful of years and then keep for some more. All in all, a good but not a great wine. A reliable Rosso di Montalcino, if anything. (89 pts.)

  • 2012 Sesti (Castello di Argiano) Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    Fermented in stainless steel, aged for 16 months in Slavonian 3000-liter botti casks and medium-sized barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14% alcohol.

Luminous, moderately translucent ruby red color. Somewhat restrained, dry and savory nose with slightly closed aromas of wizened red cherries, some animale tones, a little bit of crunchy cranberry and light brambly notes of fresh raspberries. With some air the nose opens up, gaining sweet notes of ripe red fruits and a nice streak of licorice. The wine is ripe, juicy and moderately full-bodied on the palate with quite dry flavors of dark plums, some ripe black cherries, light earthy notes of savory spice, light astringent notes of chokeberries and a hint of blood. The overall feel is quite structured with the rather high acidity and moderately firm tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is juicy, ripe and moderately grippy with medium-long and rather straightforward flavors of succulent dark fruits, some earth, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness and a hint of brambly black raspberry.

A pleasant and enjoyably structured Rosso di Montalcino that shows good sense of balance. However, in our Rosso di Montalcino tasting, this wine came across as a bit linear and simple compared to many other Rossos we had. At first the wine was quite closed and underwhelming, but fortunately it picked up speed as it opened up both in the bottle and in the glass - thus, decanting is heartily recommended. All in all, this was a nice, structured Sangiovese, but ultimately nothing thrilling. I hope some further aging might coax some additional depth and complexity out from the wine - at least it shows potential for future development. (87 pts.)

  • 2010 Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    100% Sangiovese from younger vines. Fermented in stainless steel, aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. Annual production 15,000 bottles. 14,5% alcohol.

Developed reddish-maroon color with a pale mahogany rim. Aged, stuffy and somewhat sweet-toned nose with tertiary aromas of soy sauce, some roasted onion, a little bit of chopped celeriac, light dried cherry tones, a hint of plummy dark fruit and a touch of beef jerky. The wine is old, savory and somewhat raisiny on the palate with somewhat off flavors of cabbage and rotting onion, some raisin, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light beef jerky tones, a hint of hoi sin and a touch of mushroomy earth. The overall feel is still quite structured, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, quite tannic and quite tertiary with flavors of raisins, salty soy sauce, some sweet figgy tones, a little bit of beef jerky, light notes of roasted onions and a hint of peppery spice.

Eh. A mediocre wine that is remarkably old and tertiary for its age - especially for a wine from such a great vintage. While getting tertiary and moderately oxidative, the wine has also developed some unpleasant, aged off notes as well. All in all, quite a disappointment; this seems like a simple RdM that was meant to be drunk fairly soon after release - the difference to the vintages 2006 and 2000 was remarkable, and not in a good way. Fruit fading and overall going downhill. Needs some air to blow the unpleasant funk. Better to drink up very soon. (77 pts.)

  • 2006 Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    100% Sangiovese from younger vines. Fermented in stainless steel, aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. Annual production 15,000 bottles. 14,5% alcohol.

Luminous, slightly translucent blackish cherry color. Savory and somewhat developed nose with aromas of wizened dark fruits, some gamey meat, a little bit of dried dates, light toasty notes of sweet oak spice and a hint of old leather. The wine is ripe, textural and velvety on the palate with a medium body and vibrant flavors of black cherries, some meaty umami notes, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light wizened plum tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of earth. The overall feel is pretty balanced with the moderately high acidity and medium tannins that slowly pile up. Only the high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate. The finish is juicy, moderately grippy and quite dry with savory flavors of black cherries, some gamey meat, light plummy tones, a little bit of toasty wood spice and a hint of wizened dark berries.

A rich, supple and pleasantly developed Rosso di Montalcino. The overall feel is still somewhat oaky despite the 14 years of aging, so I can imagine this must’ve been pretty oak-driven in its youth. However, the most obvious oaky characteristics have integrated nicely with the fruit and now remain more a suggestion in the background. As one would expect for a 2006 Tuscan red, this was pretty ripe and juicy an effort, but also surprisingly mellow and approachable for such a strong vintage - I expected the wine to be much more structure-driven than it ultimately was. Nevertheless, this was a balanced and thoroughly enjoyable effort. It will continue to improve for some years more, but seeing how nicely it is drinking right now, it really doesn’t call for any further cellaring. (91 pts.)

  • 2000 Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    100% Sangiovese from younger vines. Fermented in stainless steel, aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. Annual production 15,000 bottles. 14% alcohol.

Evolved, slightly translucent blackish cherry color with a somewhat brick-orange hue and a wide, pale rim. The nose feels wonderfully rustic and quite fragrant with attractive aromas of dried flowers, bretty notes of stable floor, a little bit of ripe black cherries, light sooty notes of charred game, a lifted hint of sweet, ethery VA and a touch of savory wood spice. The wine is silky-textured, supple and moderately full-bodied on the palate with evolved and enjoyably complex flavors of wizened black cherries, some wild strawberries, a little bit of sweet leathery funk, light jammy notes reminding me of Vintage Port, a bretty hint of barnyard and a touch of pipe tobacco. The overall feel is impressively structured with the high acidity and still surprisingly ample and assertive tannins that contribute both to the structure and to the chewy texture. The persistent finish is rich, textural and quite grippy with rustic and somewhat sweet-toned flavors of tobacco, dried figs, some bretty notes of leather and barnyard, a little bit of meaty umami, light bitter notes of sour cherries and juicy hints of wild strawberries and dark plums.

An impressively muscular, concentrated and beautifully textural Rosso di Montalcino that is still going strong at the age of 20 years. Although feeling a bit more evolved than the 2006 vintage that was tasted alongside, this offered way more depth, power and complexity. I’m not sure how much further the wine will improve from here - if at all - but seeing how the wine doesn’t show any signs of going downhill, I can imagine this will continue drink well for many years more. Easily among the best RdM wines I’ve had. Highly recommended. (93 pts.)

  • 2007 Agostina Pieri Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    Macerated with the skins for approximately two weeks. Aged for 12 months in used oak barriques, blended together and then aged for another 3 months in stainless steel. 13,5% alcohol.

Surprisingly pale and very translucent raspberry red color that is pretty vibrant and youthful for the age. Bright, youthful and wonderfully seductive nose of wild strawberries, ripe dark forest fruits, even some Pinosity, a little bit of marmaladey raspberry, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of fresh dark plums and a touch of dried flowers. Lovely! The wine is ripe, youthful and supple on the palate with lively flavors of brambly raspberries, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of marmaladey red fruit, light notes of rose hips, a hint of sauvage funk and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The overall feel is very balanced and silky with the moderately high acidity and textural medium-minus tannins. The finish is juicy, textural and somewhat grippy with long, vibrant flavors of wild strawberries, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of tart red plums, light brambly notes of raspberries, a hint of sun-baked earth and a touch of marmaladey red fruit.

A beautiful and poised Rosso di Montalcino that is made in a style completely different from any other wine in our RdM tasting - while other wines were more brooding, darker-toned and tightly-knit in style, this was wonderfully fresh, delicate and very much Burgundian in style. There’s a good deal of ripeness here, but the wine still feels very lightweight, precise and more berry-than-fruit-driven in style. Several other wines clocking at +12 years of age were already at their peak or starting to fade, but this wine felt remarkably youthful for its age and seemingly quite far from its peak. This is probably not the wine you are looking for, if you are looking for a bold, muscular and tannic Rosso di Montalcino, but for the fans of elegance and light weight, this is spot on. Highly recommended. (94 pts.)

Developed, moderately translucent pomegranate red color. Weirdly sappy nose with aromas of birch leaves and green willow bark, some dark forest fruits, a little bit of developed pruney fruit and wizened black cherries, light earthy tones and a crunchy hint of crowberries. The wine is full-bodied, silky and moderately evolved on the palate with flavors of sour cherries, some prunes, a little bit of crowberries, light sappy green tones, a hint of tart and slightly bitter lingonberry and a touch of earth. Structurally the wine is quite balanced with its ripe yet firm tannins and moderately high acidity, but flavor-wise the wine feels a bit all over the place. The high alcohol lends some warmth to the palate. The finish is quite long, moderately grippy and quite bitter with flavors of wizened cranberries, some sour cherries, a little bit of earth, light sappy green tones, a hint of sweet raisiny fruit and a touch of earth.

An evolved and somewhat unimpressive Rosso di Montalcino that is both pruney-sweet and weirdly sappy-green at the same time. It feels like this hasn’t been a wine made for extended cellaring and has started to grow into wrong direction over the years. Drinkable, but not particularly memorable. (85 pts.)

  • 2007 Cerbaiona (Molinari) Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in conical open-top fermentors. Aged in Slavonian bottis of 1000 to 3000 liters. 14% alcohol.

Deep, dark and somewhat developed reddish-maroon color. Developed, sweet-toned and somewhat rustic nose with attractive, slightly tertiary aromas of raisins and dried figs, some ripe dark plums, a little bit of smoke, light meaty tones, a hint of farmhouse funk and a touch of mushroomy earth. Very nice. The wine is savory, textural and moderately full-bodied on the palate with flavors of wizened black cherries, some leather, light earthy tones, a little bit of bretty barnyard funk, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of gamey meat. Very balanced overall feel with the moderately high acidity and firm, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, dry and quite grippy with savory flavors of gamey meat, some wizened black cherries, light bretty notes of leather and stable floor, a little bit of tart lingonberry, a hint of mushroomy earth and a sweet touch of ripe fig.

A beautiful, enjoyably - but not excessively - rustic and wonderfully evolved Rosso di Montalcino at its peak. The wine is clearly evolved, but not one bit going downhill. The structure here is very strong, but not overpowering in relation to the fruit or the body. All in all, a great combination of power and finesse. Most likely won’t develop any further from here, but not going to fall apart anytime soon either. Easily among the best wines in our Rosso di Montalcino tasting - offers at least as much pleasure as many a Brunello by some other producers. (94 pts.)

  • 2010 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    Aged for a minimum of 8 months in a combination of Slavonian oak botti and French oak barriques. 14,5% alcohol.

Somewhat translucent blackish-red color with an evolved brick-orange hue. Restrained and somewhat sweet-toned nose with delicate and quite seductive aromas of black cherries, some licorice, a little bit of leathery funk, light mineral notes of sun-baked stones and a hint of ripe redcurrant. All in all, a very classic, Tuscan nose of Sangiovese. If there has been much oak from the barriques at some point, it doesn’t show anymore. The wine is firm, lively and surprisingly youthful on the palate with a medium body and intense - even somewhat concentrated - flavors of sour cherries, dark forest fruits, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of licorice, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of developed earthiness and a touch of sweet raspberry. The overall feel is quite tightly-knit and muscular with the high acidity and still quite assertive and grippy tannins, serving as a great counterpoint to the intense flavors. The finish is dry, concentrated and moderately tannic with intense flavors of sour cherries and crunchy cranberries, some leathery funk, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light notes of bloody game, a hint of licorice root and an evolved touch of earthiness.

A very impressive, powerful and muscular Rosso di Montalcino that is remarkably tightly-knit even at 10 years of age. In our tasting of more than dozen RdMs, this was probably the most impressive one, coming across more as a restrained, well-made Brunello than a Rosso di Montalcino. The wine is starting to show the first signs of age, but the overall feel is still remarkably youthful and most likely the wine will continue to improve for years more - which is all for the better, since the assertive tannins are going to need years more before they start to resolve. All in all, this is a classic, harmonious and very structure-driven Sangiovese. Not a big or weighty one, but one that packs surprisingly much punch and concentration. Very highly recommended. (95 pts.)

  • 2006 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (21.9.2020)
    Aged for a minimum of 8 months in a combination of Slavonian oak botti and French oak barriques. 14% alcohol.

Dark, slightly translucent blackish-red color with a very evolved, reddish mahogany hue. Restrained, savory and quite tertiary nose with pretty old aromas of leather, some beef jerky, a little bit of fried liver, light smoky tones and a pungent hint of general oxidation. The wine is full-bodied, silky and evolved on the palate with savory flavors of sour cherries, meaty umami, some licorice tones, a little bit of crunchy chokeberry, light oxidative notes of salty soy sauce, a green-ish hint of something vaguely leafy and a touch of beef jerky. The overall feel is rather old and tertiary with a rather tightly-knit structure, thanks to the moderately high acidity and somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The medium-long finish is dry, savory and moderately tannic with quite oxidative flavors of gamey meat, some chokeberries, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light beef jerky tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of soy sauce.

A still somewhat decent and drinkable Rosso di Montalcino, but gliding downhill already. Most likely this has been on its peak several years ago and has been on a decline since. Not fully oxidized or completely in pieces yet, but definitely not showing its best anymore. Tasting this side-by-side with the vintage 2010, the difference couldn’t be any bigger: the 2010 vintage was impressively big, muscular and relatively youthful, still going up, whereas this wine - only 4 years older - has already peaked and is only a shadow if its former self. (84 pts.)

Luminous, moderately translucent and still surprisingly youthful blackish-red color. Restrained, somewhat sweet-toned and slightly evolved nose with attractive aromas of wizened dark plums, some ripe black cherry, a little bit of jammy dark berries, light forest floor notes and a hint of tobacco. Doesn’t feel young anymore, but neither does the nose come across as particularly developed either. The wine is ripe, firm and juicy on the palate with a moderately full body and quite intense flavors of tart lingonberries, sour cherry bitterness, some succulent notes of ripe red plums, a little bit of gravelly minerality and a hint of earth. The overall feel is quite sinewy and structured with its high acidity and still quite firm and grippy tannins. The finish is quite grippy, savory and subtly sweet-toned with quite long flavors of wizened figs, some raisiny tones, a little bit of strawberry, light leathery notes, a meaty hint of umami and a touch of earth.

A still surprisingly youthful and vibrant Rosso di Montalcino that is in its prime drinking window at 14 years of age. However, the wine doesn’t feel like it has benefited that much from the age; it is certainly youthful for its age, but in our Rosso di Montalcino tasting this wine didn’t come across as that complex and impressive. The overall style is wonderfully structure-driven, but relatively straightforward at the same time. Good stuff and will continue to drink well for many years, but ultimately nothing truly remarkable. Miles better than the somewhat green-toned and slightly weird 2007 vintage, though. (89 pts.)

Pale, moderately developed cranberry red color. Dry, restrained and somewhat dusty yet quite attractive nose with fine-tuned aromas of wizened black cherries, some gravelly minerality, a little bit of sweet dark fruit, light red plum tones and a floral hint of dried flowers. The wine is lively, moderately developed and bright on the palate with a medium body, silky texture and intense, dry flavors of sour cherries, tart lingonberries, some crunchy cranberry, a little bit of bloody meat, light tertiary notes of earth and a hint of dried flowers. The wine is still rather structured with its high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, dry and somewhat grippy with savory and still moderately youthful flavors of sour cherry bitterness, tart lingonberries, some gravelly minerality, a little bit of meaty umami, light ferrous notes of blood and a hint of old, dry leather.

A very sophisticated, balanced and fine-tuned Rosso di Montalcino that shows its age, but nevertheless comes across as much more youthful than many of the younger wines we had in our RdM tasting. This is nothing transcendental - even for a Rosso di Montalcino, as we had multiple more impressive wines in our tasting - but a very fine and enjoyable Sangiovese all the same. It also shows how the best Rossos can age gracefully for more than a decade, even though RdM is marketed as a wine style that needs to be drunk young. (92 pts.)

Moderately deep, translucent and quite aged brick-orange color. Aged, dusty and quite tertiary nose with somewhat oxidative aromas of soy sauce, some beef jerky, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a little bit of wizened sour cherry and a hint of tobacco. The wine is dry, lean and tertiary on the palate with quite old flavors of rusty blood, sour cherries, some gamey meat, light oxidative notes of pungent soy sauce, a little bit of tart lingonberry and a hint of old leather. The wine is relatively tightly-knit with its high acidity and still rather grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is dry, quite long and rather tannic with rather tertiary and moderately oxidative flavors of tart lingonberries, sour cherry bitterness, dried red fruits, some tobacco, a little bit of dusty earth and a hint of cracking old leather.

A tertiary Rosso di Montalcino that is already on a decline. Comes across as very structure-driven and quite intense even after +20 years, but overall is starting to be pretty old and showing the first signs of obvious oxidation. Definitely has seen some better days; probably has been on its plateau of maturity some 5-10 years ago and now is slowly fading away. Still quite drinkable and even somewhat enjoyable, so not in fully pieces yet. The rather tough structure really calls for food, though. (85 pts.)

Then those two Rieslings we had:

Luminous lemon yellow color with lime-green highlights. Cool, fresh and very youthful nose of pear marmalade, floral notes of apple blossom, some fresh red apple, a little bit of honeydew melon, light mineral notes of wet stones and a hint of crunchy white peach. Lovely! The wine is sweetish, playful and quite light-bodied on the palate with a slight hint of spritz upon the first pour. Medium-sweet flavors of lemon marmalade, ripe key lime, some apple juice, a little bit of steely minerality, light golden apple tones, a mineral hint of wet stones and a touch of cantaloupe. The wine is firm with its high acidity, but this certainly isn’t as bracing and electric as some 2010 Rieslings can be. The finish is clean, steely and quite acid-driven with long, medium-sweet flavors of lemony citrus fruits, tart green apples, some orange, a little bit of crunchy white peach, light notes of honeycomb and a hint of stony minerality.

A tasty, fresh and remarkably youthful Nahe Spätlese that isn’t as lean and high-strung as some 2010s are, but nevertheless seems to age at a glacial pace - which seems to be very typical of Rieslings from this vintage. Not particularly concentrated or super-impressive in any way, but nevertheless remarkably balanced and tasty with lovely depth of fruit. I suspect this wine is going to need another 15-20 years before it is hitting its peak - although it is very drinkable and so delicious already now. Smashing stuff. (92 pts.)

  • 2010 Albert Gessinger Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ** Alte Reben Caldo Infernale - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (21.9.2020)
    My 10th Caldo Infernale 2010 and it just never ceases to amaze me. A stupendous wine by all accounts. This is a biodynamic Riesling from a particularly hot plot in the Zeltinger Sonnenuhr vineyard known as “Kalk”, recognized since the Roman times. “Kalk” doesn’t actually refer to the chalk content of the soil, because the plot isn’t particularly chalky - instead, “Kalk” comes from a historical Roman name “Calidus” that means “hot”. That is why this goes by the Italian name, which means “infernally hot”. The wine is aged for 2 years in old 1000-liter Fuders. 8,5% alcohol, 128 g/l residual sugar, 13,6 g/l acidity. Bottled under a natural cork.

Pale and slightly hazy golden yellow color with subtly green highlights. Huge yet not overdone nose with noticeably ripe aromas of apricots, canned pineapple, some steely minerality, light waxy tones, a little bit of apple jam, a hint of mineral spice, a touch of tangerine and a subtly developed whiff of creaminess. The wine is very ripe, extremely concentrated and ridiculously racy on the palate with a rather full body and medium-sweet flavors of tart green apples, incisive steely minerality, wildhoney, some tart lemony notes, a little bit of fresh apple, light bitter notes of apple peel, a hint of fresh apricots and a touch of chalk dust. The piercing acidity lends the wine tremendous structure and extraordinary focus. The finish is very acid-driven and noticeably concentrated with precise, medium-sweet flavors of tangy green apples, steely minerality, tart lemony citrus fruit, some honeyed sweetness, a little bit of canned pineapple, light fruit salad tones, a hint of fresh white peach and a touch of apple peel bitterness. The aftertaste leaves a very intense and slightly drying sensation in your mouth.

Once again, this was a perfect Mosel Auslese Riesling. It was also a pretty merciless way to end a tasting - no wine after this one is going to taste anything but dilute and watery. However, as our tasting was drawing to its end, this was a perfect opportunity to enjoy a bottle of this. As usual, the wine seems to be aging at a geologic time scale, so while the wine might be showing the very first, creamy signs of age, it is still years - or in all likelihood, decades - away from its apogee. Drink now or within this century. Remember to decant it off the tartrates - there’s quite a bit of them in the bottle. (97 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Yes. Depends on the producer. I have some Fuligni Rosso that has aged great.

Otto - always enjoy (and am envious) of your tasting notes, so thank you. While I agree with your producer emphasis, I found it interesting that in two well-regarded vintages, 2006 and 2010, Pacenti and Uccelliera were opposite each other.

I wonder what the problem is with Montalcino? It’s a beautiful location, but why can’t the wines age well?
Too much oak slather, too much sitting around in casks…

Cheers!

Those surprised me as well! Especially how evolved the 2006 Uccelliera was, but I guess it was just a vintage not meant to age for that long - even though 2006 is easily one of the best 21st century vintages in Italy.

Everybody was wondering whether the 2010 Pacenti was a sound bottle, but since nobody had any previous experience on that particular vintage, it was impossible to tell what was the real case. It might’ve been a compromised cork or something similar.

Well, oak is often a problem, but most of these were pretty classicist stuff, so that shouldn’t have been a problem here.

While Chiantis (which, to me, seem to age more gracefully) are kept for shorter times in casks, wines like Nebbiolo and Tempranillo are kept for similar or even longer times in oak and normally they tend to age much better!

Wow, three hand grenades (blanket statements) in one tiny post, well done champagne.gif neener

There is no problem with Montalcino. Not in my opinion, anyway. The region, on balance, is/has been returning to more traditional methods/philosophies - in the vineyards, and cellars, and it’s my opinion that they’re moving in the right direction. I believe, as I suspect they do, too, that these growers and/or winemakers continue to better understand the true potential, and nobility, of Sangiovese. Most still produce the wines they want to drink, a good thing in my opinion. As trend lines go, this (RdM) is one worth my time, money, and more.

The wines can age well - just not in all cases - even if that’s the not wine’s purpose. As someone’s already said - producer, producer, producer. Rosso wines with a year in Slavonian botti, stainless, or some combination, are, on balance, enjoyable, and sometimes, highly so, even if my expectation for a ~ $19 bottle is not that high to begin with. Enzo Tiezzi’s rosso wines are an excellent example of what I consistently enjoy - on release, or with some years, vintage depending.

The rosso wines I prefer missed out on the slathery oak. My loss, I suppose. Riserva wines? Now that’s an entirely different beast, and if the slathery reference is meant, to some degree, to include these wines, then I find many times I have the same regret.

Rosso wines aren’t meant to age, even if some can. Delivering a rewarding experience - however one might define that for their personal enjoyment - for drinking in the immediate and or short-er cellaring period(s) seems to work out quite well from the producers I enjoy.

Otto, nice work, as usual, thank you.

Tim, thank you for your comment and positive feedback. I do agree that Montalcino is going into the right direction at the moment - there are lots of classic old-school producers and many are dialing back from their more Parkerized days.

I’ve had many discouraging experiences with older Brunelli (and Rossi as well, including some wines in this tasting) but there are lots of wines that have aged marvelously (ditto for some wines mentioned above). However, as I said before, for some reason or another, Montalcino wines seem to be more unreliable than, say, Chianti Classicos. Some have been modernists that were meant to show their best within 10 years from the harvest, but some have been just traditionalists that have made wines which have not aged that well. The wines have been alive, but they haven’t really developed much or any aged complexity, just lost their primary fruit and thinned out. While this can happen to any wine from any region (especially in lesser vintages), this is something I’ve seen more in older Montalcino wines - I just don’t know why.

And while there are some stunning Rosso di Montalcinos, the bigger problem is the pricing - while they can be great in the context of Rosso di Montalcino, often I can find better and more interesting wines from Chianti Classico or some of the Chianti satellites at lower prices. It’s not easy to find a solid Rosso di Montalcino that is great in youth, can age gracefully and is priced reasonably as well!

I feel the same way you do Otto, there seems to be better value out there in Sangiovese than in Montalcino, but I do admit to enjoying Caprili, who we import, from Rosso to Riserva as they are still affordable in the context of Montalcino, but get very little press here.

Thanks for the tasting notes! I’ve often wondered how Rosso’s from a good producer and vintage would hold up. I have a handful in my cellar that I’ve been holding to see how they evolve over time, and I sometimes think about drinking. This gave me the push I needed to hold onto these wines.

I loved the '16 Caprili RdM! Sadly, a store delivered '17 for part of my order, and that was not on the same level.

One of the issues with rdM is that you frequently don’t know why it’s a rdM. Is it fruit from younger vines? How young? A crappy vintage? Lesser barrels from the same vintage? Is it declassified BdM (with the attendant aging)? I swear there are producers that put out more rdM some years because the Brunello market is glutted and they haven’t made much rosso lately. Certainly in strong vintages there is a lot less rosso made, more fruit goes into Brunello…

Hey John, the 16’ Caprili is awesome and a great value. If you don’t mind me asking where in NY are you based? My go-to store on Long Island is “Raeders Wine and Spirits” in Albertson, NY. It’s about 35- 40 minutes east of NYC. They still had some 16’s the last time I was in there a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks Otto, fascinating tasting and notes and certainly a question worth pondering.

It would be interesting to learn how many/what percentage of Producers use fruit exclusively from Rosso classified vineyards, how many Producers use fruit from both Rosso and Brunello classified vineyards, and how many produce Rosso exclusively from Brunello classified vineyards.