San Polo Rosso di Montalcino

Montalcino, an Italian municipality in Tuscany (one hour from Siena), is a land of great wines. Its vineyards are capable of producing not only one wine under the Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC), but two. The second of these is the Rosso di Montalcino, a single-variety Sangiovese red wine produced by the Allegrini winery in the DOC Rosso di Montalcino.

Like the famous Brunello wines, San Polo Rosso di Montalcino starts life in the vineyards that the Allegrini family, Valpolicella natives, bought in Montalcino in 2007. Their eagerness to improve and be among the best led them to take one step further, leaving their usual region (where they were masters in the production of amarone) and starting a new type of production. The result was very satisfactory, partly thanks to working manually in the vineyard, with organic and respectful cultivation (which is certified). We all know: when a tree has strong roots, the branches can grow and grow. So, they didn’t have too many challenges in coping with the dry Mediterranean climate with the area’s continental influences (located between the sea and the Apennines). Here, in this in-between land, everything is possible: there is an average annual rainfall of 700 mm (mainly in spring and autumn), fog, frost and strong winds that dry out the crops.

Obviously, the grape growing is the Sangiovese (known in the area as Brunello), a native variety that has played an essential part in these wines obtaining approval from the Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino. As a general rule, this grape ripens quite well, making it possible to harvest at the end of September. This process is extremely careful, collecting the bunches in 17 kg boxes to avoid crushing and to guarantee they reach the winery in good condition. After an exhaustive selection process, the San Polo Rosso di Montalcino clusters are gently pressed and the must is placed directly into concrete tanks where it undergoes fermentation (which will last between 14 and 16 days). After this time, San Polo Rosso di Montalcino is ready for aging. This step is where the real difference between DOC Rosso di Montalcino and DOC Brunelllo di Montalcino lies: Brunello must spend a minimum of two years aging, Rosso has no minimum time. San Polo Rosso di Montalcino spends 12 months in large barrels (2000 and 4000 litres) that are lightly toasted. Last but not least, San Polo Rosso di Montalcino is lightly aged in the bottle (like the Brunello), making it a fresh and youthful wine without sacrificing character.