Castello Tricerchi Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2018

Rosso di Montalcino DOC is the second appellation for the red wine produced around Montalcino. In contrast to Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, the wine doesn’t need to go through long ageing process, but just one year. And none of the year needs to in wood. Still, the regulation requires the wine to be 100% made of local Sangiovese. Due to its southernly location, the Sangiovese grapes can consisently ripen every vintage, the body and flavour is expected to be bolder and more concentrated than 100% Sangiovese made Chianti.

Thus Rosso di Montalcino is often regarded as the benchmark Sangiovese, of what the variety can express, red cherry, strawberry, tomato, dried herbs.

The Castello di Tricerchi was built in 1441, and after nearly six century, it is still owned by the the Squarcia family, who built it. It is in the far north of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation, very close to Altesino. The property did not originally intended to host viticulture, vine growing and winemaking  are a relatively recent activity here, most of its vines having been planted in 1995. Now, the vineyards are around the castle, and the winemaking is carried out under it in a former dungeon, perfectly cold and humid. Total production is around 5,000 cases a year. As of 2022 the estate is converting to certified organic production.

The vineyard has an average elevation around 250 meters. The gentle slope is facing West or South-west, soil has medium texture with limestone clay and sand. Due to the vine’s youthful nature, all vines were pruned in modern trellised Guyot. The planting density is around 4000 vines or a little more per hectare, per vine on average yields 1.4kg of fruit every vintage. After hand harvest, the fruits are destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks, with a cold soak before fermentation and about thirty days of maceration on the skins in total. After fermentation the wine is aged in large neutral oak barrels for 8 months, then bottled. It was released a few months after bottling to meet the legal requirement.

Compare to Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino offers a more drinkable, less age-worthy frame, and this is perfect. You could age this for 5-10 years, the wine won’t decline during this length of time if cellared properly, but this is unnecssary, because it won’t improve the wine’s complexity and balance. Castello Tricerchi Rosso di Montalcino represents the character of Vigna del Lago and Vigna del Piano, plots vocated for a powerful but youthful Sangiovese.