Winemaker Notes
Lively ruby red color with violet reflections. Fruity and refined on the nose with scents of cherry, violet and orange peel and hints of cardamom, wild herbs and spices. Succulent red of notable character with crisp and persistent fruit and dense yet silky texture tempered by smooth tannins and ample acidity in a long finish of great finesse
A wine to enjoy through an entire meal with a notable penchant for stews, roasts and grilled meats and medium aged cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a pale ruby hue, the 2023 Rosso Di Montalcino benefits from air and opens with fresh lavender, wild strawberries, herbes de Provence, and dried earth. The palate is medium-bodied and elegant, with fine tannins, refreshing acidity, and a finish that floats with a weightless feel.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The organic Le Chiuse 2023 Rosso di Montalcino shows a distinctly botanical side with pressed flowers and dried garden herbs layered over tart cherry fruit. Fresh and punchy in style, it delivers a lean mouthfeel that emphasizes energy and clarity rather than richness. Fermented in cement with indigenous yeasts, the wine is sourced from eight hectares of vineyards with sandy clay soils in the cooler, northern side of the appellation, a combination that reinforces its brisk, transparent character.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.