Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2022

Wine Description for Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2022 from Le Chiuse

Character

2022 was hot and dry in Montalcino. Eric Guido nonetheless called his Vinous vintage report (or perhaps because of it) „The Magic of 2022 Rosso di Montalcino“ – and cited Le Chiuse as an exemplary wine: „wonderfully pure and lifted … a beautiful cascade of rose petals, sage and wild strawberries … finishes crisp with a cherry-berry tinge.“ Monica Larner (Wine Advocate) adds: „frank and transparent but manages plenty of basic fruit elegance. The 2022 vintage shows special intensity.“ In other words: a heat vintage in which the cooler north-facing slopes proved their worth.

Terroir & Origin

The grapes come from the same seven hectares of Sangiovese on the north-eastern flank of the hill Montosoli, from which the Brunello is also vinified. Altitude between 300 and 500 metres, with soils of Galestro slate, calcareous marl, clay and volcanic tuff. In a year like 2022 – with heat waves extending into September – it was the cool night temperatures and the altitude that made the difference between jammy and fresh. Organic cultivation since 2005, 50 hectolitres per hectare.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100 per cent Sangiovese Grosso from the historic mass selection of clone BS 11. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, followed by 13 months ageing in large Slavonian oak casks (30 hl) – the same barrels as for the Brunello, only considerably shorter. No barrique, no roasted aromas, no cosmetics. The result: a wine that displays the floral, herbal-spicy signature of the house in a more approachable, youthful form.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Ideal partners are medium-weight Tuscan dishes: Pappardelle al cinghiale (wild boar), Peposo dell’Impruneta (braised beef cheeks with plenty of black pepper), grilled lamb chops with rosemary, Coniglio in porchetta. With cheese Pecorino semi-stagionato or a young Caciotta al tartufo. Serve at 15–16 degrees, decanted for 30 minutes it shows at its best. Drinking well now until approximately 2028.