Montalcino is one of the places that helped write the history of Italian wine. Every year, thousands of wine lovers come to this Tuscan hill to taste Brunello, visit its wineries and understand why Sangiovese reaches here one of its most complete expressions.
But truly knowing Montalcino means going beyond tasting a single bottle. It means observing how the land, the climate, time and human work turn the same grape into profoundly different wines.
This idea is the starting point for the Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino tasting created by Roberto Cipresso: a guided journey that leads visitors to discover Sangiovese through five wines and a comparison between two vintages of Rosso and two of Brunello.
More than a tasting, it is a journey into how a mountain can change the voice of a single grape variety.
But truly knowing Montalcino means going beyond tasting a single bottle. It means observing how the land, the climate, time and human work turn the same grape into profoundly different wines.
This idea is the starting point for the Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino tasting created by Roberto Cipresso: a guided journey that leads visitors to discover Sangiovese through five wines and a comparison between two vintages of Rosso and two of Brunello.
More than a tasting, it is a journey into how a mountain can change the voice of a single grape variety.
Montalcino: One Mountain, Many Identities
When people talk about Montalcino, they often picture a uniform territory. In reality, it is a mountain made up of very different environments.
The vineyards stretch from around 150 to over 600 metres above sea level. Exposures change constantly, and so do the winds, the temperatures and the ripening times of the grapes. Monte Amiata shields the area from the most severe storms, while the constant ventilation keeps the vines healthy throughout the growing season.
The soils, too, tell different stories. Galestro, alberese and ancient marine sediments coexist within the same territory, helping to create wines with distinct personalities.
This is why there is no single Brunello di Montalcino. There are many interpretations of the same place, each able to express different nuances of the same mountain.
The vineyards stretch from around 150 to over 600 metres above sea level. Exposures change constantly, and so do the winds, the temperatures and the ripening times of the grapes. Monte Amiata shields the area from the most severe storms, while the constant ventilation keeps the vines healthy throughout the growing season.
The soils, too, tell different stories. Galestro, alberese and ancient marine sediments coexist within the same territory, helping to create wines with distinct personalities.
This is why there is no single Brunello di Montalcino. There are many interpretations of the same place, each able to express different nuances of the same mountain.
Sangiovese and the Character of Place
At the heart of the tasting is Sangiovese, the grape that more than any other defines Montalcino.
It is a variety extraordinarily sensitive to the environment in which it grows. Change the soil, the light, the altitude or the climate, and the way the wine expresses itself changes too, while its identity remains recognisable.
It is precisely this ability to interpret its terroir that makes Sangiovese one of the world's great grape varieties.
The tasting was created to show how the same variety can tell different stories without ever losing its own voice.
It is a variety extraordinarily sensitive to the environment in which it grows. Change the soil, the light, the altitude or the climate, and the way the wine expresses itself changes too, while its identity remains recognisable.
It is precisely this ability to interpret its terroir that makes Sangiovese one of the world's great grape varieties.
The tasting was created to show how the same variety can tell different stories without ever losing its own voice.
Five Wines, One Story
The tasting includes five wines, chosen to guide visitors through a progressive reading of the territory.
The experience opens with Punto Rosa, continues with a comparison of two vintages of Rosso di Montalcino and concludes with two vintages of Brunello di Montalcino.
Each wine is a chapter of the same story and prepares the way for the next, revealing how time and place transform Sangiovese.
The experience opens with Punto Rosa, continues with a comparison of two vintages of Rosso di Montalcino and concludes with two vintages of Brunello di Montalcino.
Each wine is a chapter of the same story and prepares the way for the next, revealing how time and place transform Sangiovese.
Punto Rosa: A First Glimpse of Sangiovese
The tasting begins with Punto Rosa, a rosé made exclusively from Sangiovese.
It is born from the combination of an early harvest, which preserves freshness and acidity, and a portion of must drawn off by saignée during the production of Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino.
The result is a fragrant wine with notes of strawberry, raspberry, cherry and pomegranate, introducing visitors to the character of Sangiovese with lightness, precision and balance.
It is not a preview of Brunello, but the first step towards understanding its identity.
It is born from the combination of an early harvest, which preserves freshness and acidity, and a portion of must drawn off by saignée during the production of Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino.
The result is a fragrant wine with notes of strawberry, raspberry, cherry and pomegranate, introducing visitors to the character of Sangiovese with lightness, precision and balance.
It is not a preview of Brunello, but the first step towards understanding its identity.
Rosso di Montalcino: The Energy of Youth
Rosso di Montalcino is often seen as Brunello's younger brother. In reality, it is another interpretation of the same territory.
Its character favours freshness, immediacy and energy. Shorter macerations and a shorter ageing period preserve the fruit and allow Sangiovese to speak in a more direct language.
During the tasting, two different vintages are compared precisely to show how climate shapes the wine. Each harvest tells the story of a different season, changing aromas, structure, acidity and balance.
Rosso thus becomes the youngest voice of the mountain, expressing the territory with spontaneity and vitality.
Its character favours freshness, immediacy and energy. Shorter macerations and a shorter ageing period preserve the fruit and allow Sangiovese to speak in a more direct language.
During the tasting, two different vintages are compared precisely to show how climate shapes the wine. Each harvest tells the story of a different season, changing aromas, structure, acidity and balance.
Rosso thus becomes the youngest voice of the mountain, expressing the territory with spontaneity and vitality.
Brunello di Montalcino: When Time Becomes Wine
With Brunello, the pace changes completely.
Time becomes an integral part of its identity. Long ageing in wood, followed by further evolution in bottle, allows the wine to develop complexity, depth and elegance.
The two vintages served during the tasting show how Brunello evolves over the years, moving from youthful strength towards an ever more refined balance.
Rather than seeking power, the tasting invites you to observe how the wine gains harmony, precision and the ability to tell the story of time.
Time becomes an integral part of its identity. Long ageing in wood, followed by further evolution in bottle, allows the wine to develop complexity, depth and elegance.
The two vintages served during the tasting show how Brunello evolves over the years, moving from youthful strength towards an ever more refined balance.
Rather than seeking power, the tasting invites you to observe how the wine gains harmony, precision and the ability to tell the story of time.
Why Taste Two Vintages?
Comparing two vintages of the same wine means observing the work of nature.
Rain, temperature, sunshine and the pace of ripening change with every harvest, leaving a recognisable trace in the wine.
Tasting two vintages side by side reveals that a wine is never identical to itself. Every bottle is an unrepeatable snapshot of the relationship between climate, terroir and human work.
It is precisely this comparison that makes the tasting so engaging, both for those approaching wine for the first time and for enthusiasts who want to explore how Sangiovese behaves over time.
Rain, temperature, sunshine and the pace of ripening change with every harvest, leaving a recognisable trace in the wine.
Tasting two vintages side by side reveals that a wine is never identical to itself. Every bottle is an unrepeatable snapshot of the relationship between climate, terroir and human work.
It is precisely this comparison that makes the tasting so engaging, both for those approaching wine for the first time and for enthusiasts who want to explore how Sangiovese behaves over time.
An Experience to Truly Discover Montalcino
This experience is designed for anyone who wants to understand the territory through wine.
No technical knowledge is required: the comparison between Rosso and Brunello makes the differences between the two interpretations of Sangiovese immediately perceptible.
By the end of the tasting, visitors will not simply have tasted five wines; they will have observed how a single variety can transform according to climate, time, place and human choices.
This is the truest meaning of Montalcino.
Book your Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino tasting and discover how Sangiovese tells a different story every year, while always being born from the same mountain.
→ Book the tasting
No technical knowledge is required: the comparison between Rosso and Brunello makes the differences between the two interpretations of Sangiovese immediately perceptible.
By the end of the tasting, visitors will not simply have tasted five wines; they will have observed how a single variety can transform according to climate, time, place and human choices.
This is the truest meaning of Montalcino.
Book your Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino tasting and discover how Sangiovese tells a different story every year, while always being born from the same mountain.
→ Book the tasting
Roberto Cipresso
Winemaker. Author
