Conti Costanti Rosso di Montalcino 2016

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

“These handmade, artisan wines remain some of the most individualistic terroir-driven wines in Montalcino. I cant recommend them highly enough. Andrea Costanti is at the top of his game, its as simple as that.”

Antonio Galloni

As a category, Rosso di Montalcino remains one of the most misunderstood in Italy and, lets face it, when it comes to misunderstanding Italian wine there’s plenty of competition.  Rosso di Montalcino can be anything from a fresh and fruity young wine coming solely from rosso registered vineyards through to ‘declassified’ Brunello. Why declassify Brunello? Essentially it’s a question of economics because ageing Brunello until the fifth year from harvest ties up enormous investment.

At Costanti, Andrea has a very small parcel of his vines registered as rosso. In the cantina the grapes are all treated the same way, the difference being that his Rosso di Montalcino is selected from tonneaux and barrels and bottled after twelve months. This is a beautiful Sangiovese to drink or cellar for a few years.

About Costanti

Established: 1555
Owner: Andrea Costanti
Winemakers: Andrea Costanti
Production: 60,000 bottles
Hectares under vine: 10
Viticulture: Conventional

According to the history books, the Costanti family has been producing wine in Montalcino since the 16th century. The current Costanti, Andrea – former President of the Brunello consorzio, multi Wine Spectator Grand Award Winner and scuba diver – assumed control in 1983 from his uncle Count Emilio. He was freshly graduated from Siena University with a geology degree and, while some may have thought Emilio a hard act to follow, Andrea set to the task with a will and a determination that has seen the winery upgraded and, in conjunction with consultant oenologist Vittorio Fiore, the family’s reputation for great Brunello enhanced.

The wines have the unmistakable imprint of the Matrichese cru, yielding Brunello of unparalleled elegance and complexity, with luscious focussed berry fruit, remarkable structure and above all, exquisite balance. The vines’ altitude (310-440 metres) is conducive to ideal ventilation and the warm days and cool nights result in wonderfully fragrant Brunellos. Unfortunately for wine lovers, there are only 10 hectares under vine and availability is subject to fierce demand from both sides of the Atlantic, hence the minuscule quantities.

“These handmade, artisan wines remain some of the most individualistic terroir-driven wines in Montalcino. I cant recommend them highly enough. Andrea Costanti is at the top of his game, its as simple as that.” Antonio Galloni.

In the Winery

The wines spend around 3 weeks on skins and are the aged for 12 months in 350L barrels.

Where in the World do they Come From?