Italian Pick of The Week, 3/17/08
Casanova di Neri Rosso di Montalcino, 2005, Toscana
Rosso di Montalcino was the first of the “little brother” wines to garner DOC classification based on a more prominent sibling, as have Rosso di Montefalco and Rosso di Montepulciano. Fruit that lacks the necessary concentration to become Brunello produces a lighter wine made available for release with only a year of aging.
Young and less evolved doesn’t mean second tier, especially from a producer with the estimable record of Neri. Their Brunello “Tenuta Nuova” 2001 was Wine Spectator’s “Wine of The Year” for 2006. At less than $20 their Rosso delivers quality bang for the bucks.
Up front it’s all dark fruit backed by earth and leather. By mid-palate the fruits mellow and take on more red berry/cherry flavors, smooth and better balanced than many Rossos, but not so manipulated as to lose its juvenile rustic nature. Pleasantly solid acidity carries the fruit, giving the tannins time to develop without sacrificing their Montalcino silky firmness.
Comments
Leave a Reply
-
- Best of Philly
- Daily Wine News!
- Jamie Goode’s Blog
- The Wine Collector
- The Wine Investor
- Vinography
- Wine 101 - The Wine School of Philadelphia
- Wine Flair
- Wine for Dummies
- Wine Prices, Ratings, Reviews
The Wine School Today
The November Newsletter! http://aweber.com/b/23xGx # Follow the conversations on Twitter!
Online Wine?
Get connected to the Wine School online! From our popular wine rating & review newsletter to our 1/4 million wine-related contacts on Linkedin to our daily "Life at the Wine School" tweets. Its all yours, for free.
