De Monaco & Holland Rosso di Todi

Tuscany often gets all the credit, but Umbrian reds are some of the great secrets in all of Italy. While the famed wines of Paolo Bea can be profound, they can also have a good bit of bottle variation. On the other end of the spectrum are the overly-polished and modern wines from producers who shall remain unnamed. With the Rosso de Todi from Lorenzo di Monaco, you get the quintessential Umbrian red.

Almost all Sangiovese (90%), with Colorino (5%) and Malvasia Nera (5%) in supporting roles, here's a wine that is a perfect expression of a great old-world terroir (rocky, alluvial soils) created with a deft touch that showcases the purity of Sangiovese at its best.

This is very different than most of the Sangiovese produced in Tuscany. Much darker, inkier, and a bit more structured, this explodes out of the glass with aromas and flavors of dark plum, fig preserves, blackberry, blueberry, damp earth, and violet. Drinking wonderfully now, this will continue to come together over the next decade or more. Highly recommended!