Rosso / Brunello di Montalcino

[rjsussex]

As mentioned in an earlier post re Chianti Classico, I owe it to this board to have sent me back to my love for Sangiovese. My current feeling is that a good Rosso di M is more to my taste than the equivalently priced CC or CC Riserva because purer (100% Sang) and more minerally than the CC. Having said that the best value Sangiovese I've been drinking is Cafaggio's CC Riserva 04 which at around £17 in UK (although it now seems to have vanished) is/was a wonderful bargain, if needing time to absorb a little of its oak.

Rossos/Brunellos in ascending order of value:

- Renieri Rosso 06: c£15: lighter style, fragrant but also a bit blunt. Good.
- Poggione Rosso 07: c£15: another lighter style, very pure, just lacks some energy. Good plus.
- Pertimali Rosso 06: c£18: bit pricier, lovely purity, very Burgundian and clingy finish. Really good.
- Lisini Rosso 06: c£17: some bottle variation. At best more clarety than Pertimali, classy and rich. Fine.
- Poggiarellino Brunello 01: c£25: as K&L say (see their site), some wine. Still needs time. Evolved colour, lovely balance and old-style acidity and length. Fine wine.
- Poggione Brunello 04: c£22 (now much more after WA score!?): not sure about Gallione's 98 points or whatever but my first bottle was a lovely deep and very promising wine. Exciting.
- Paradiso di Manfredi Rosso 06: c£25: yes that's a Rosso at the top and at the highest price of these 7 wines. Haunting aromatics, piercing purity and bracing acidity - quite lovely. The Brunello at c£45 must be worth a look.

Richard.

[Ramon_NYC]

Thanks for the list and short TNs Richard. I have not much experience with Rosso di M, but would like to expand and will be on lookout with the names that you listed.

Ramon

[rjsussex]

Sorry to answer my own note, but am now certain that the Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Rosso 06 though 'pricier' at c£18 is the real baragin of these Rossos: the Lisini is more structured but more worked, more oaked and less refined and long.

Tanzer I think has a note on the Pertimali 07 being 'weightless' and that's the effect of the 06 - almost like a Chambolle!

A lovely, really pure wine for the price of a good Bourgogne Rouge.

Richard