Podere Canalino, Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Tuscany, Italy, 2015

First established in the 17th century by the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Siena as a mixed farm, the Sodi family has lived and worked the land of Podere Canalino since the 19th century.

The current winemaker is Alberto Pagliantini, whose father replanted the vineyards in the late 1990's with four different Sangiovese clones, selected for the warmer weather and marly soils of Montalcino and planted densely to reduce yields with cover crops of berries, wild flowers  and herbs between the vines.

Traditionally Rosso di Montalcino is seen as the little brother of Brunello di Montalcino, for younger drinking, but there is nothing diminutive about this wine. Aged for just six months in large (7500 litre) Slavonian oak tonneaux it is bottled the autumn after harvest, then aged in bottle until release. The current vintage is 2015. 

This is beautiful, mature Sangiovese. Cherries and earthiness on the nose, supple tannin and lovely length. Complex and a perfect partner for traditional Tuscan food. 

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