MEMBERSHIP PLAN: BRONZE

FRANCESCO’S DESCRIPTIONS:

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Fattoi Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2018 Song: It’s only Rock’n’Roll (but I Like it) by The Rolling Stones. Native of Montalcino for several generations, the Fattoi family controls every aspect of the production of their Brunello in the southern side of Montalcino, where the Orcia and Ombrone rivers meet. Their wines always show the rustic charm of Brunello, combining a broad bouquet and a fulfilling taste typical of the appellation, with authenticity and tradition. The aroma is neat, gratifying, with maraschino cherry, wild rose, wild berries, leather, cocoa, sandalwood and a note that is typical of their wines, graphite/pencil case, due to the rocky soil rich in Galestro (local stone). Palate is pure energy, rock’n’roll at its finest: vibrant, fresh with a great mineral hint and a nicely integrated tannin, for a long finish with a pleasant savoriness combined with a wild berries and sour cherry aftertaste. “I know, it’s only Brunello, but I like it, like it, yes I do!” 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2028. Open 4h before. Price range $43

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Fattoi Rosso di Montalcino Doc 2021 Song: Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis. Geranium, violet, red currant, a distinct note of graphite(pencil case) typical of the area, balsamic notes, leather: this Rosso di Montalcino offers an intensity and quality of aroma that could outshine most Brunellos. The palate is an effusion of small red fruits such as red currants and pomegranate. Fresh, with a strong and defined personality, with a tannin of good grip and a long, savory finish with a red fruit and violet aftertaste: this Rosso will make your palate crave for another glass. 100% Sangiovese. 1 bt in shipment. Drink through 2023-2024. Open 1h before. Price range $27

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Le Bèrne Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2019 Song: Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The story of the Natalini family is a classic example of generational transition from farming to winemaking, starting at Podere le Bèrne in the early 60s with Mr. Egisto and his son Giuliano (still present with the wife Ada in the everyday life of the winery), passing the baton to the grandkids, Andrea & Laura that are joined now by the young grand-grandson, Federico. Four generations for a traditional Vino Nobile, rich in fruit such as cherry under spirit, red currant, prune, red flowers, with refined notes of balm and underbrush. Palate is rich, succulent and pleasant. The warmth of the alcohol is balanced by a refreshing sensation of plum and red berries, with a firm yet perfectly integrated tannin and a long finish. A classic Vino Nobile, rustic and refined at the same time, perfectly paired with the iconic 70s Rock band CCR. 100% Sangiovese. 1 bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2025. Open 3h Before. Price range: $26

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Le Bèrne Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2020 Song: Barbara Ann by The Beach Boys. Dark fruits such as plum, sour cherry and black currant, red rose and a gentle note of forest underbrush, this Vino Nobile offers a joyful and elegant version of Sangiovese in one of the best areas of Montepulciano, Cervognano. The palate enhances the lively sensation of dark fruits, with refreshing notes of crunchy currants and violets, with a well balanced tannin and a pleasant, lighthearted, savory finish. Best paired with the music from iconic American band, the Beach Boys. 100% Sangiovese. 1 bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2025. Open 2h Before. Price range: $24

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Guidotti Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg 2019 Song: You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC. The new sensation of Montepulciano is definitely this micro-estate run by the Guidotti cousins, Massimiliano and Daniele, who after many years of selling grapes to some of the most popular wineries in the area, have decided to start labeling their own Vino Nobile, in 2018. This wine is only their second vintage as winemakers and it is already one of the bestselling bottles in town, despite the very small production. Intensity typical of the area of production with notes of tart cherry, orange blossoms, cocoa, leather and a ferrous minerality due to the soil rich in iron that recalls raw meat. In the palate is fresh and floral, with hints of orange peel and maraschino cherry. The tannin is still a bit edgy, like an AC/DC guitar riff by Angus Young, but the wine is savory, with a pleasant finish of pomegranate and red currant. I’d suggest to wait until September before opening, so that the tannin will be tamed by its first summer spent in the bottle, the best cure for the impetuosity of young Sangiovese (this lot was bottled on February 2023). 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through: September 2023-2027. Open 3h before. Price range $28

 

Guidotti Rosso di Montepulciano Doc 2020 Song: Burning Love by Elvis Presley. This Rosso di Montepulciano shows a surprising intensity and quality for a wine of its category(and price range). This Rosso has beautiful aromas of red fruits such as red currants and sour cherry, violet, orange peel, chocolate and a hint of balm. In the palate, an effusion of red fruits enhances the freshness of the wine, showing lots of character with a firm tannin and a long finish. It’s basically what I like to call a ‘baby Vino Nobile’, a great everyday wine that shows personality and distinctive qualities.100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2025. Open 1h before. Price range $20

 

Bakkanali Sangiovese Igt n.v. Song: Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin. The future of Tuscan enology is in the hands of Ugo Fabbri and Sebastian Nasello, whose vision takes form in a splendid terroir, yet to be discovered, the Monte Amiata. The roughness of the Maremma giant shapes an elegant and tasty Sangiovese, unique of its kind, in complete stylistic antithesis but qualitative continuity with nearby Montalcino, where Fabbri and Nasello first established themselves as winemakers. The wine shines red ruby light; the glass is a bouquet of red flowers such as wild rose, violets and geranium: notes of tart cherry, red currants, orange zest, underbrush, graphite and a note of raw meat as result of the rocky and ferrous soil of the Amiata Volcano. Palate is convivial, rhythmical, straightforward and energetic, very much like Led Zeppelin’s music. It’s fresh and savory, with a well polished tannin and an everlasting sensation of red berries, geranium and Jasmine tea.  A unique wine, in which Tuscan tradition and a stylistic melting pot intertwine. By drinking this now, you will be able to say "I was there when it all started”. Decant. 100% Sangiovese. 2bts in Shipment . Drink through 2023-2025. Decant 1hr before serving. Price range $35

 

Riecine Chianti Classico Docg 2021 Song: Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. One of the true leaders of the fantastic renaissance of Chianti Classico, Riecine is located in the heart of Chianti, in Gaiole. Their wines are a true ode to Sangiovese, with great intensity, precision, freshness, elegance, fragrance and a compulsive drinkability. If you close your eyes while drinking Riecine, you’ll daydream about strolling around the breathtaking hills of central Tuscany. Their take on 2021 is pure Rock’n’Roll with notes of tart cherry, blackberry, red rose, black currant, a slight peppery note and an herbaceous touch of grass, with a twist of Campari character. As energetic and vibrant as the guitar riff by Chuck Berry: in the palate, freshness is predominant and tannin is a bit chalky but the finish is a marvelous effusion of red fruits such as red currants and tart cherry, with a sapid, mouthwatering twist. This Chianti bit cocky right now in its youth, but with more aging time it will get more complex and refined; that said, as I am writing I am enjoying every sip of it. 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2027. Open 2h before. Price range $32

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Le Ragnaie Troncone Igt Toscana 2021 Song: Two Princes by Spin Doctors. Under the leadership of Riccardo Campinoti, Le Ragnaie has become one of the benchmarks of Montalcino with their majestic Brunellos. Troncone is the youngest wine of the house. Playful and vivacious, it shows a most lighthearted version of Sangiovese from Montalcino, undressed from the broad structure of the long aging of Brunello, offering a Rock-Pop revision of the grape and terroir. Tart cherry, wild rose, freshly cut grass: very immediate and cheerful, yet extremely pleasant and precise. In the palate is vibrant, joyful, with a sapid aftertaste of crunchy cherry, raspberry and red currants. The epitome of a perfect everyday wine of incredible quality. 100% Sangiovese. 1bt in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2024. Open 1h before. Price range $22

 

Lisini Rosso di Montalcino Doc 2021 Song: Rock the Casbah by The Clash. One of the 6 sisters, aka founding wineries of Brunello di Montalcino, Lisini is a fierce representative of the western side of Montalcino, in the slope of Sant’Angelo in Colle where the warm sun and the breeze from the Tuscan shore give birth to lush, elegant and rich wines. It would be reductive to think about Rosso di Montalcino as a cheaper version that recalls its ‘older brother’, Brunello: the best winemakers of the area, conceive it as a different wine, with its own personality and characteristics of a brilliant and more immediate version of Sangiovese. The bouquet is elegant, intense, with notes of dark ripe fruit that recall blackberry jam and black currants, with hints of cocoa, violet and an intriguing note of mediterranean scrub(thyme, sage). Palate is an explosion of blackberries and raspberry, with a refreshing and long lasting finish with a polished tannin. 100% Sangiovese. 2bts in Shipment. Drink through 2023-2026. Open 2h before. Price range $26