Caprili Rosso di Montalcino 2018

The estate, which sits directly adjacent to the vineyards of Soldera, has been causing quite a stir lately, with the 95-point score hardly a fluke. In fact, several publications have finally taken notice in addition to the Wine Advocate with James Suckling and Antonio Galloni of Vinous now calling on the estate. Seems like they’re doing something right.

But when it rains it pours – just as the 2016 Brunello vintage is a classic – the 2018 Rossos are phenomenal. So when I got the Brunello deal done, it wasn’t the only new release I plucked from star winemaker, Giacomo Bartolommei. I also managed to secure 20 cases of the 2018 Rosso di Montalcino, the winery’s ‘Baby Brunello’ release and a rising star in its own right.

James Suckling highlighted it in his great under $25 Tuscan wines giving it a 92-point score and calling it “full bodied” and “beautiful.” He also encouraged Italian wine buyers to scoop up all the 2018 Rossos they can saying, “for consumers, they are essentially younger Brunellos on sale.”

But today’s Rosso is one of the few really worthy of the title ‘baby brunello’ being several notches above most. The 2018 Caprili Rosso di Montalcino is cut from limestone and rocky soil giving it an earthy complexity and sophistication. From there, it spent 12 months in neutral Slovanian oak where it was fermented using native yeasts ala old school Brunello.