About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The grapes came from Bassolino di Sopra, the upper section of the Pian Bassolino vineyard at 390 m. The vines were 17 years old in 2014 and were trained mainly to Guyot, with a smaller portion on spurred cordon. The clay-rich soil is partly highly calcareous and marly, contains abundant coarse mineral material and breaks down readily. Its formation dates to the uplift between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, producing noticeable variations in composition over short distances.
Grapes
100% Sangiovese.
Vinification
The grapes were harvested on 1–4 October 2014 at a yield of 25.4 hL/ha. Severe selection took place during picking, followed immediately by manual sorting on a selection table so that only healthy, ripe berries entered the fermentation.
Spontaneous fermentation began within 24 hours, reached a maximum temperature of 30°C and lasted just under two weeks. Malolactic fermentation started immediately after alcoholic fermentation. No cultured yeasts, bacteria, enzymes or technological additives were introduced.
Ageing
The young wine matured for 42 months in a single 25 hL oak cask. It was bottled on 19 July 2018 and had spent more than six months in bottle when the technical sheet was prepared. Release followed in April 2019.
Technical data
Alcohol: 13.58% vol. Total acidity: 5.62 g/L as tartaric acid. Volatile acidity: 0.85 g/L as acetic acid. pH: 3.63. Residual sugar: below 1 g/L. Free sulfur dioxide: 18 mg/L; total sulfur dioxide: 39 mg/L. Production comprised 3,222 bottles of 750 mL and 48 magnums.
The analytical colour intensity was 5.4, with a hue value of 1.072. Total polyphenols were 1,994 mg/L as gallic acid, and the catechin index was 340.5.
Tasting profile
Although the wine was harvested, vinified and matured with the intention of becoming Brunello di Montalcino—and subsequently passed the relevant tasting and analytical certification—it was ultimately declassified to Rosso di Montalcino. Its distinctly fruit-driven character was judged more closely aligned with Rosso than Brunello.
Vintage notes
The 2014 growing season followed a dry winter with another rainy spring, which secured water reserves but increased disease pressure. Stable summer conditions arrived only in early July. Frequent rain returned in September, while persistent humidity and relatively cool temperatures slowed ripening. From mid-July until the day before harvest, the vineyards were continually inspected and affected berries removed. The strongest sites, including Bassolino di Sopra, supplied fruit approaching the required standard for Brunello, but the finished wine's fruit-forward expression ultimately led to its release as Rosso di Montalcino.