ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2020, 5 STARS
In Montalcino, for the first time, there have been 3 extraordinary harvests 2019, 2020 and 2021 one after the other. The one in the middle is extraordinary for its bouquet and full taste
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Never before has there been such a favorable sequence. A great gift for winemakers but also a great challenge because the three vintages had very different characteristics and therefore had to be interpreted in a different way.
2020 started badly with a small frost during the bud (18-23 March) which reduced the quantity of grapes. The winter was mild and arid. The rain came in June in a very abundant way, throughout the month. The heat began in mid-July and lasted until September with almost no rain but with a strong difference in temperature between night and day. At the time of harvest, the grapes were very small, perfectly ripe and with totally lignified seeds. They gave rise to colourful and fragrant musts with the typical crunchiness of the great Sangiovese vintages.
Rosso di Montalcino 2020 comes from the same ORGANIC vineyards as Brunello. The winemakers at Casato Prime Donne, just before the harvest, divide the vineyards into small plots, by tasting the grapes. Those to be used for the Rosso di Montalcino must have a good component of polyphenols and potential alcohol but lower than those that will produce the wine destined for long aging. Rosso di Montalcino must in fact give satisfaction to those who drink it in the first years of life.
The label depicts three doves flying out of the coat of arms. They symbolize Donatella Cinelli Colombini, her husband Carlo and her daughter Violante, the family that owns the Casato Prime Donne winery where the grapes for this wine were born, where it was vinified and aged in cask. It is in fact a “family wine”.
DESCRIPTIVE SHEET FOR ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2020
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TYPE: ORGANIC dry red
PRODUCTION AREA: Tuscany, Montalcino, Casato Prime Donne
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VINTAGE: mild and arid winter. Frost (18-23 March) at the beginning of the sprouting which resulted in the reduction of the grapes produced. Very rainy June followed by a dry and hot period interrupted by a great climatic disturbance at the end of August. Even in September the daytime temperatures were above 32 ° C while at night the thermometer dropped a lot, favouring the synthesis of perfumes.
GRAPES: 100% Sangiovese
HARVEST: from 17-23 September. Manual harvesting and use of the sorting table for selecting the grapes.
VINIFICATION: in truncated conical steel vats with open cap, punching down and temperature control. Indigenous yeasts selected at Casato Prime Donne were used. After the alcoholic fermentation, the wine remained to macerate in contact with the skins for 20 days in closed-cap vats.
BARREL MATURATION: 6 months in 5-7 hectoliter oak tonneaux.
QUANTITY PRODUCED: 20,000 bottles
ORGANOLEPTIC ANALYSIS OF THE ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2020
COLOUR: intense and brilliant ruby red.
BOUQUET: fine, complex with vinous aromas reminiscent of Sangiovese and suggestions of small ripe red fruits such as cherries, raspberries and blackberries together with floral elements and specifically violets.
TASTE: communicative wine that satisfies with its harmonic fullness. The silky effect comes from tannins balanced with the fruit and alcohol. Good persistence, extremely pleasant.
ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2020 AT THE TABLE
FOOD PAIRING: gastronomic wine that offers the best of itself accompanying tasty and not too fatty dishes. Excellent for brunch and with cold foods such as cold cuts and medium-aged cheeses. Perfect with savoury first courses, roasted or grilled meats.
TABLE SERVICE: serve at room temperature (16-18 ° C) in clear crystal goblets in the shape of a large tulip.
CELLARING: Montalcino wines are all long-living but Rosso di Montalcino is intended to be drunk when young. The bottles must be kept cool (16 ° C) in the dark, laying down and consumed preferably within 5 years from the harvest.