2022 Argiano, Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Tuscany, Italy.
The really fresh ruby and garnet Argiano Rosso di Montalcino is drinking beautifully right out of the bottle and is fabulous with a wide array of food choices, especially grilled meats and hard sheep cheeses with its vibrant and pure Sangiovese red fruits leading the way. The palate is vivid and a bit youthfully juicy with a medium body of cherry, plum, strawberry and earthy mulberry fruits, along with tangy minty herbs, a touch of tobacco leaf, almost no wood in evidence, just a touch of spicy cedar, crushed stones, wilted rose petals and anise. The Argiano baby Brunello fits the nickname, but is not as powerful, age worthy or serious as some can, which is fine when you are looking for something to enjoy tonight and I appreciated the clarity of flavors and terroir nuances, it is very solid effort and nicely rewarding without pretension.
The Rosso di Montalcino from Argiano comes from all organic vines up around 300 meters above sea level with mostly loam, clay, with some alluvial origins and classic marl and limestone soils, which give this wine its mineral and bright tones, as seen perfectly in this lighter framed 2022 vintage. Of course, this is 100% Sangiovese Grosso, or Brunello clone that is sourced from 20 to 25 year old vines, with the grapes coming into cellar coolly hand picked, de-stemmed and cold soaked. Argiano allows for a spontaneous fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel with about 10 days on the skins for structural extraction before the wine is pressed to a combination of large French and Slavonian barrels. The Rosso di Montalcino spends about nine months in these big casks with are pretty neutral to promote purity, transparency and freshness, as especially seen here. This 2022 is a touch lighter and easy to enjoy than some vintages I’ve had, but certainly impresses for its deliciousness.
($32 ESt.) 92 Points, grapelive