Rosso di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino from Conti Costanti, a top producer there, will run over a hundred dollars at release and take a decade plus of bottle age to show its true stature. But you can get a glimpse of this producer’s talents with their stately Rosso di Montalcino. Still made entirely from Sangiovese, Rosso di Montalcino comes from either declassified Brunello or vineyards dedicated to Rosso. Importantly, it requires less barrel aging before release and therefore is ready to drink far sooner. Inexplicably, Rosso di Montalcino remains an often-overlooked category because, as Costanti’s 2021 shows, it allows you to get an excellent idea of beauty of Brunello without the cost and wait. Costanti’s finely textured 2021 transfixes you with depth and elegance. Brimming with a black rather than red fruitiness interwoven with minerals, it’s ready to drink now but still grows in the glass, so this is a wine to savor slowly with dinner. It was a delightful choice for a grilled Florentine beefsteak. 93 Michael Apstein

Camphor, dark spice and ripe dark-skinned fruit aromas take the lead on this lovely red. Elegantly structured, the medium-bodied palate features Morello cherry, tobacco and coffee bean framed in taut, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink through 2026. Kerin O’Keefe