2018 Rosso di Montalcino

The 2018 Ciacci Rosso Rosso di Montalcino is intense from the get-go, showing sweet black cherries dipped in liquor, complicated by balsamic spices and savory herbs. On the palate, silky, almost creamy textures give way to polished ripe fruits and sweet spices, as pretty inner florals add lift to the experience. There’s a hint of orange citrus on the long finish, as the red fruits lean more to the blue end of the spectrum, along with a mix of residual acids and tannins. As fruit-forward and intense as this Rosso is, I can’t help but enjoy its extroverted yet balanced personality.

The Bianchini family has been working hard to develop a cohesive strategy for its Rosso program. The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2018 Rosso di Montalcino pours from the bottle with a light garnet appearance. The wine remains compact and lean-bodied in terms of palate, and it imparts classic aromas of wild cherry, potting soil and blue flowers. Everything you get here is straight out of the Sangiovese playbook, and the wine remains accessible and easy-dinking throughout. You can't beat that low price. Some 68,000 bottles were released in January 2020.