Ciacci Piccolomini - Rosso di Montalcino - Cru Rossofonte - 2023

The Ciacci Piccolomini Rossofonte 2023 is one of those Rosso di Montalcino wines that immediately charms, while also clearly demonstrating its origin from a serious producer. You taste ripe and juicy red fruit, fine spice, a hint of balsamic, and that elegant freshness that makes every sip inviting. This is no simple “entry-level wine,” but a refined Rosso with character: more approachable than Brunello, but with surprising depth, tension, and length.

In the glass, Rossofonte is ruby red. The aroma opens with ripe plums, raspberries, black cherries, and other ripe red fruits, followed by floral notes, balsamic accents, and spicy nuances of tobacco, cedar, mint, lavender, star anise, and pink pepper. On the palate, the wine is juicy and energetic, with refreshing acidity, velvety tannins, and a beautiful balance between ripe fruit, spiciness, and digestibility.

The Sangiovese Grosso grapes for the Rossofonte come from the Castelnuovo dell’Abate area, on the southeastern side of Montalcino, close to the Abbey of Sant’Antimo. The vineyards for this wine are located at an altitude of 240 to 360 meters. The soil is medium-textured and rich in Eocene marl, which is well-suited to the combination of fruit, freshness, and fine earthy depth in the wine. The grapes for the Rossofonte come from vines planted around 2005 and 2010.

The grapes for Rossofonte are carefully hand-picked in September. Due to the strict manual selection of grapes, the yield is very low, making the wine full of ripe fruit, but also having energy, juiciness, and freshness to keep the wine vibrant.

Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and glazed concrete tanks. Subsequently, the wine matures for 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels, followed by at least another 8 months of bottle aging in the estate's cellars. This gives the Rossofonte beautifully rounded tannins and extra depth.

Rossofonte is not a mass-produced wine. Approximately 8,000 bottles are made annually, giving the wine a more exclusive character.

Wine and food pairing
This wine is perfectly at home alongside classic Tuscan dishes. Think of bistecca alla Fiorentina, pasta with ragù, game ragout, or grilled meats. The official pairing even mentions a novel combination with a rich fish soup made from scorpionfish and monkfish. For your customers, I would primarily position it as a versatile gastronomic Rosso: perfect with meat dishes, rich pasta dishes, and aged cheeses.

92/100 Points James Suckling

A bright, ripe wine full of plums and raspberries, with black cherries, smashed flowers and blood oranges. Very juicy and energetic on the medium-bodied palate, showing good weight, refreshing acidity and polished, velvety tannins. Drink or hold.