2015 Podere Scopetone, Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy.
Tasted at the Marc de Grazia Growers tasting in San Francisco, this 2015 Rosso di Montalcino by Scopetone, which will be released in May 2017, was one of the sleepers of the show, a beautiful Sangiovese expression with rich detail and wonderful layers, this is going to be a vintage to jump on from Montalcino, especially these Rossos! The Marc de Grazia tasting featured Barolo, Brunello and Mount Etna, including some 2012 Brunello offerings, that yes deserve the hype they are getting for their pure flavors, elegance and substance and Scopetone’s is a gorgeous wine that will sell for about $70 retail, but their 2015 Rosso was almost as thrilling and offers a great value. The 2015 vintage was near perfect and warm in Tuscany and the ripe fruit fills the palate and the lush tannins allow for a beautifully textured wine with sublime mouth feel and length while still having juicy acidity and energy. The Scopetone 2015 Rosso di Montalcino starts with earthy red berries, cedary spices, dried and fresh flowers with a rose/violets note and dark currant, black cherry and strawberry on the palate as well as licorice, cigar box and iron/mineral elements. This is an excellent young and vibrant pure Sangiovese with a nice deep garnet/red hue in the glass that delivers graceful fruitiness and Tuscan charm with enough earthy/savory edginess to keep these balanced, it will be a stylish cuisine companion especially with robust and or rustic home fare. After a difficult 2014 vintage, Tuscany and especially Montalcino and Chianti look like big winners in 2015 across the board with even the basic wines over performing, be sure to not miss out!
($30 Est.) 93+ Points, grapelive