Cava d’Onice Rosso di Montalcino 2022

Cava d'Onice is Simone Nannetti's small Montalcino estate, founded with his father and named after a nearby Etruscan onyx quarry in the Val d'Orcia, Tuscany. Rosso di Montalcino is the appellation's younger, earlier-drinking red, made from the same Sangiovese as Brunello but aged for a shorter time, which keeps the fruit fresher and the wine more approachable. The vineyards grow on the galestro and clay-limestone soils of the Montalcino hills, where good drainage and a warm but breezy climate ripen the grapes fully while cool nights preserve acidity and lift. After fermentation on skins, the wine spends around six months in oak and a further six months in bottle, a short ageing that rounds the tannin and adds a light spice while keeping the bright red fruit to the fore. The wine is bright ruby, with cherry, red berries and plum over red currant, dried herbs and an earthy note. The palate is medium bodied and savoury, with fresh acidity, fine tannin and a clean finish. It offers the character of Montalcino in a younger, more immediate form. Serve at 16 to 18C with grilled meats, tomato-based dishes and mushroom risotto.