Caprili Rosso di Montalcino 2023
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The Land
Rosso di Montalcino comes from the same ground as Brunello, just released younger and without the DOCG's long aging requirement. Caprili's vineyards sit in the southwestern corner of the appellation near the hamlet of Tavernelle, one of the warmer, sandier pockets of Montalcino, immediately next to Pieve Santa Restituta and Soldera. The Rosso specifically comes from the Testucchiaia vineyard, with vines between 10 and 25 years old at 320 meters, on clay soil threaded with stone. The sector benefits from steady wind off the coast to the west, which keeps disease pressure down and lets Caprili farm with minimal intervention, while also tempering the heat in warmer vintages. It is Sangiovese Grosso country through and through, the same biotype locally called Brunello that built Montalcino's reputation.
The Wine
100% Sangiovese Grosso, fermented with native yeast at a controlled 26-28°C with about 10 days of maceration in steel, then aged 9 to 12 months in wood, split between 40% barrique and tonneaux and 60% large 19-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks. The 2023 growing season opened normally before a wet summer slowed ripening and pushed the harvest into a longer window, September 15 through October 2, more typical of the late 1990s than a modern Montalcino vintage. The result is an intense ruby red with purple hints, showing mature red fruit, dried cherry, and a savory, leathery edge, full-bodied with real persistence on the finish. It is built to drink young but should hold for years given Rosso's typical eight-year aging window.
The People
The Bartolommei family has farmed this corner of Montalcino since 1911, first as sharecroppers for the Castelli-Martinozzi family at what is now Pieve Santa Restituta, before buying the Caprili property outright in 1965 and planting the Madre vineyard that same year. Alfo Bartolommei released Caprili's first wine, a Rosso, in 1978, with the first Brunello vintage following soon after and reaching market in 1983. Today the estate is run by Alfo's children, Manuele, Paolo, and Paola, alongside the next generation, Giacomo and Filippo. The vineyard's coastal wind exposure lets Caprili farm with minimal chemical input, and the winemaking follows the same restraint: native yeast, minimal manipulation, aging in traditional Slavonian oak. It was one of Montalcino's original 15 wineries, and three generations later the family still works the same ground.
Food Pairing
Rosso di Montalcino's bright acidity and dried-cherry fruit make it a natural at the table rather than a wine to sip alone. Try it with pappardelle in wild boar ragu, grilled sausages with white beans, a rosemary-crusted pork loin, or a plate of aged pecorino with honey. The wine's acid and structure cut through fat, while its fruit keeps pace with anything tomato-based. It is the bottle to open on a weeknight when you want a real Tuscan red without waiting for the Brunello to be ready.
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Tuscany is one of Italy’s most iconic wine regions, anchored by historic regions like Chianti and Montalcino, where Sangiovese thrives in clay-limestone soils and varying elevations. Chianti Classico produces medium-bodied, savory reds, while Montalcino’s warmer, drier conditions give rise to the powerful and long-lived Brunello. Along the Tuscan coast, regions like Bolgheri emerged in the late 20th century with the rise of Super Tuscans—often blends of international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grown in marine-influenced soils. While overwhelmingly known for red wines, Tuscany is also home to great classic whites grown in San Gimignano and modern whites often made with French grape varieties.
Italy - Tuscany
Sangiovese is Italy’s most widely planted red grape and the backbone of many of the country’s most renowned wines, including Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Its name likely derives from the Latin “sanguis Jovis,” or “blood of Jupiter,” hinting at its ancient Roman roots. While native to central Italy, particularly Tuscany, it is also grown in regions like Umbria, Emilia-Romagna, and even scattered sites abroad. Sangiovese is known for its high acidity, firm tannins, and bright red fruit character, often showing notes of sour cherry, dried herbs, and earthy spice. Its structure and versatility make it a natural match for food and a compelling lens through which to explore regional terroirs.
