Tuscany, Italy
Rosso di Montalcino
| SKU | 138800 |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Type | Red |
| Varietal | Sangiovese |
| Listing | Speculative |
| Case Config. | 6x750ml |
| Available In | BC AB |
Colour
Clear medium ruby.
Aroma
Aromas of sweet blackberry, cherry, leather, black pepper.
Flavour
Flavours of cherries, blackberries, leather, black pepper, tobacco, earth. Medium bodied with a subtle finish.
Food Pairing
Pairs well with pasta dishes, grilled meats, casseroles and stews, hard cheeses.
More Info
Canalicchio di Sopra - Ripaccioli seems to be making better and better wines with each passing vintage. The estate's Rosso and Brunellos are sourced from vineyards in the Canalicchio and Montosoli districts, both on the northern side of Montalcino, and are aged predominantly in cask. Specifically, the Rosso has been aged approximately 8 months in Slavonia oak barrels with an average capacity of 40 hl; in this period scrupulous controls are carried out until it is aged in bottle.
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Mar/2026
2024 -
"The 2024 Rosso di Montalcino marries the vintage's elegance with the pure and complex house style. Crushed black cherries and cedary spices meet lifting nuances of mint and dusty rose as this evolves in the glass. It’s silken and dense, with a wave of ripe red berry fruits and vibrant acidity underscored by crisp minerality. There’s a weight to the 2024 that adds presence, even as it finishes incredibly fresh, with hints of tart raspberry and a saline resonance. This is a baby Brunello by every stretch of the imagination." - Eric Guido
Falstaff, Oct/2025
2023 -
"Light ruby red with purple reflections. Fruity on the nose; cherries, blackberries, ripe plums, sultanas, chocolate, some leather. Dry on the palate, very juicy, fine tannins, good length, very balanced and persistent." - Othmar Kiem & Simon Staffler
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Jan/2026
2023 -
"The Canalicchio di Sopra 2023 Rosso di Montalcino offers a scaled-down expression of Brunello authority while remaining approachable and immediately engaging. Fresh fruit is supported by a subtle salty mineral note on the close, giving the wine energy and appeal for a new generation of Sangiovese-curious drinkers. The wine sees an initial two months in Slavonian oak followed by brief aging in large-format 750-liter French barrels, with fruit sourced from the youngest vines in the Canalicchio cru on clay-rich soils." - Monica Larner
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Mar/2026
2023 -
"The 2023 Rosso di Montalcino evolves slowly in the glass, with a beguiling bouquet of green olives, dried herbs, incense and black cherries. Stern minerality and tart red berry fruits balance out the round palate, which takes on a crunchy feel toward the close, while brisk acidity maintains amazing energy. It's gently tannic with a balanced structure, leaving a minty, saline resonance. In 2023, Canalicchio Di Sopra lost about 60% of their production due to Peronospora, and used their Brunello fruit for the Rosso di Montalcino." - Eric Guido
James Suckling, Sept/2025
2023 -
"Open and fruity, featuring bright cherries, dried rose hips and red spices. Medium-bodied, rounded and smooth, it offers fresh acidity and a juicy flow. The finish is marked by a chalky texture. Drink or hold."
Wine Spectator, Oct/2025
2023 -
"This bright, juicy red is focused on its fresh cherry and raspberry fruit, along with a savory side that reveals earth, licorice and salty mineral notes. Shows fine balance and length. Drink now through 2030." - Bruce Sanderson
Jeb Dunnuck, Feb/2026
2023 -
"The 2023 Rosso Di Montalcino pours a medium garnet hue and offers a more serious profile than most wines in this category. The aromatics lean toward savory and detailed, with incense, orange rind, dried flowers, and currants. Medium-bodied, it carries ripe tannins and balanced acidity, finishing clean and tapered." - Audrey Frick
Jeb Dunnuck, Jan/2025
2022 -
"A bright ruby color, the 2022 Rosso Di Montalcino is refined and pretty on the nose, with a rosy perfume of fresh raspberries, dark wet stones, and fresh herbs slowly revealing itself. Medium-bodied, it is bright and linear with fine tannins and is going to need some time to flesh out. I have tasted several older vintages of this wine recently and found that they really start to show their best after a couple of years of extra time in the bottle. Drink 2025-2035." - Audrey Frick
Wine Align, Nov/2024
2022 -
"...This is in fact a great Rosso... No arguing the aromatic volume out of '22 that stuns and a flavour profile of pure sangiovese seduction." - Michael Godel
Decanter, Aug/2024
2022 -
"A delightful expression of the DOC from brothers Francesco and Marco Ripaccioli. Polished, fleshy and plush with ample red cherry fruit counterpointed by hints of rose jam and pine needle, and bright, mouthwatering freshness. Lively and impossible to dislike, this is from younger vines on clay-rich soils, although occasionally some of the fruit from the coveted Montosoli cru is also included. The wine spends 12 months in a mixture of very large Slavonian oak casks and French oak tonneaux." - Jason Millar
Gismondi on Wine, Sep/2024
2022 -
"Produced mostly from their youngest vineyards, this Rosso represents their calling card for Canalicchio di Sopra wines: a young, fruity, and versatile expression of their estate Sangiovese. This comes mainly from vineyards located in the Canalicchio Cru, with ample clay, magnesium, iron and Manganese soils. It was macerated and fermented in stainless over three weeks, before resting one year in Slavonian Oak Barrels (50 hl and 25 hl), and French oak barrels (750L). Wild cherry, dark raspberry, balsam flood the floral palate, with graphite and gravels rolling underneath. Crunchy acidity stream this along the palate, while tight, finely sticky / grippy tannins house this through the saline finish. Ample Brunello fruit gets declassified into here, making their Rosso a hot ticket. Super smart." - Treve Ring
Decanter, Aug/2024
2022 -
"A delightful expression of the DOC from brothers Francesco and Marco Ripaccioli. Polished, fleshy and plush with ample red cherry fruit counterpointed by hints of rose jam and pine needle, and bright, mouthwatering freshness. Lively and impossible to dislike, this is from younger vines on clay-rich soils, although occasionally some of the fruit from the coveted Montosoli cru is also included. The wine spends 12 months in a mixture of very large Slavonian oak casks and French oak tonneaux." - Jason Millar
James Suckling, Aug/2024
2022 -
"Savory berries and plums with touches of iron and minerals on the nose. Juicy on the palate, with a medium body and a mouthful of dusty tannins." - Zekun Shuai
Jeb Dunnuck, Feb/2024
2022 -
"The 2022 Rosso Di Montalcino is ripe and inviting, with beautiful aromas of cherry liqueur, tobacco leaf, crushed flowers, and sweet herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it moves seamlessly to the palate with a velvety texture and has a sunny feel with lovely clarity. A gorgeous Rosso offering a ton of enjoyment now, with ripe tannins, delicate mineral undercurrents, and a clean finish, it’s a very appealing wine to drink over the next 10 years."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Dec/2023
2022 -
"Remarkably pretty and spicy to the core, the 2022 Rosso di Montalcino blossoms in the glass with a bouquet of rose petals and wild strawberries offset by white pepper. This is lifted and graceful in style with a salty, saline core that grumbles beneath its ripe wild berry fruits. It finishes tense and structured, with a trace of sour cranberry and citrus that tugs at the cheeks. The purity of Sangiovese is on full display here. Have patience with the 2022 because the best is yet to come." - Eric Guido
Wine Spectator, Oct/2024
2022 -
"This red's cherry and strawberry fruit is buried beneath earth, iron and sanguine flavors typical of Sangiovese. Focused by lively acidity, with a dusting of tannins lining the salty finish." - Bruce Sanderson
Wine Align, Nov/2024
2021 -
"...the concentration is at the peak for the DOC and if you slipped this blind into a Brunello tasting not a single taster would pull this as the ringer. But it is a different wine and needs to be treated and respected that way, to think of its potential as that of its character. Still the extract, pH, structure and even acidity are at levels that will see this travel across decades. Oxidation? Not a chance...." - Michael Godel
Jeb Dunnuck, Feb/2026
2021 -
"Marked by the estate’s April frost, which reduced yields and helped bring extra focus to the vintage, the 2021 Rosso Di Montalcino is one of the most complete Rossos I have tasted from Montalcino. The nose is bright and energetic with ripe red cherries, red berries, floral perfume, and sweet citrus. Medium-bodied, it has terrific drive and clarity on the palate, with ripe tannins, vibrant acidity, and a vertical, mouthwatering finish." - Audrey Frick
Jeb Dunnuck, Feb/2024
2021 -
"Revealing slightly higher-toned fruit on the nose, the 2021 Rosso Di Montalcino opens to bright notes of candied cranberries, orange peels, and thyme. Medium-bodied, it has more tension and a linear feel, with a good deal of zesty grip and a salty finish. With more tension compared to 2022, it's another rather noble wine to enjoy over the next 10 years."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Feb/2023
2021 -
"An intense burst of crushed raspberries, sage, cloves and dusty dried roses wafts up from the 2021 Rosso di Montalcino. It displays a beautiful elegance on the palate, nearly velvety in feel yet energetic, with a seductive mix of rich red fruits and sweet inner florals. This finishes lightly structured with rounded tannins adding youthful poise without slowing the 2019s momentum. There’s so much concentration and power here, and it has the acidity to balance, clocking in at 5.68 grams per liter of total acidity.' - Eric Guido
Robert Parker, Mar/2023
2021 -
"Canalicchio di Sopra takes great care with its entry-level wine, the 2021 Rosso di Montalcino. It displays a warm and generous personality despite its petite stature and pleasantly streamlined mouthfeel. Along the way, this Sangiovese emits dark cherry, cassis, blue flower, iris root and a rusty-mineral note. There is structure here and good fruit weight, which makes this much more than your standard Rosso. The only point of concern is a robust 15% alcohol content."
James Suckling, Jul/2023
2021 -
"Aromas of ripe red berries, sweet citrus peel, cocoa and bark, following through to a medium body with vivid fruit. Chalky and textured with a flavorful finish."
Wine Spectator, Oct/2023
2021 -
"This red has a plush texture, along with lively acidity that focuses the black cherry, blackberry, plum, iron and underbrush flavors. Complex and solidly structured, with a long finish." - Bruce Sanderson
Wine Align, Jun/2022
2020 -
"Call this Rosso balanced... Still there is nurturing from out of the blanketing warmth of 2020, a linear progression from grippy fruit through acid succulence. ...Will move with the times, be transferable, able to reinvent itself time and time again. As a Canalicchio di Sopra it most certainly will..." - Michael Godel
Jeb Dunnuck, Feb/2024
2020 -
"The 2020 Rosso Di Montalcino offers a very pretty bouquet of pure raspberries, a hint of anise, pepper spice, and gravelly earth. Medium-bodied, it’s light on its feet and has ripe tannins and a great finish. It’s a wonderfully elegant wine that shows how a couple of years in the cellar can benefit these wines. Drink 2024-2030."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Mar/2022
2020 -
"The 2020 Rosso di Montalcino is deep, dark and almost sensual in the glass, as black cherries and minty herbs give way to hints of worn leather and spice. It coasts along the palate with silken waves of ripe red berries, coming across as supremely soft and pliant, yet all kept in balance by saline-tinged acids. Rosy florals and hints of licorice linger, as the 2020 tapers off fresh yet potent and long. This is an elegant beauty." - Eric Guido
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Feb/2022
2020 -
"Proprietor Francesco Ripaccioli was kind enough to submit two vintages of his Rosso for review. Rosso sees its commercial release at a different time than Brunello, so it's hard to be timely with one set of reviews without being behind on the others. Hitting the market soon, the warm-vintage Canalicchio di Sopra 2020 Rosso di Montalcino is supple and rich. This wine shows rich fruit weight and soft aromas of baked cherry and plum. The alcohol content is a decisive 14.5% on this 33,330-bottle production."
James Suckling, Jul/2022
2020 -
"A soft and easy red with cherry and orange-peel aromas and flavors. Light-to medium-bodied. Delicious. Drink now."
Gismondi on Wine, Feb/2023
2020 -
"Produced mostly from their youngest vineyards, this Rosso represents their calling card for Canalicchio di Sopra wines: a young, fruity, and versatile expression of their estate Sangiovese. This comes mainly from vineyards located in the Canalicchio Cru, with ample clay, magnesium, iron and Manganese soils. It was macerated and fermented in stainless over three weeks, before resting one year in Slavonian Oak Barrels (50 hl and 25 hl), and French oak barrels (750L). Candle wax, wild cherries, raspberries flood a juicy, structural palate, framed with firm, sticky tannins, and kissed with medicinal cherry on the stony, ferrous finish. Lovely presence and confidence here." - Treve Ring
Wine Enthusiast, Jul/2022
2020 -
"Aromas of camphor, ripe dark-skinned fruit and spice lead the nose along with a toasted note. Full-bodied and elegantly structured, the firm palate exhibits ripe Morello cherry, licorice and espresso supported by taut, fine-grained tannins."
Wine Spectator, Aug/2022
2020 -
"This sleek red is highlighted by a beam of macerated cherry. Reveals iron, juniper and shiso leaf accents, which add depth as this finds equilibrium and builds to a lingering finish. Firm, yet enjoyable now. Drink now through 2027." - Bruce Sanderson
James Suckling, Aug/2021
2019 -
"Sweet cherries and berries with some walnut and orange peel. Medium-bodied, fresh and vivid. Lightly bitter finish. Drink now."
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Feb/2022
2019 -
"The Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Rosso di Montalcino is a balanced wine with pretty purity and freshness. This estate does a great job with its Rosso and has believed in this category of wine even when others were less enthusiastic. That loyalty shows here in this confident and authentic wine that aspires to ease-of-drinking, acidity and bright primary fruit."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2019 -
"The 2019 Rosso di Montalcino has taken on a hard red candy note in its bouquet that mixes with peppery rose, licorice and wild strawberries. It’s soothingly seductive and classic in feel, as purple-toned inner florals mix with mineral-tinged berries and spices. Sweet tannins linger yet don’t get in the way, as the 2019 literally buzzes with residual energy, while tapering off with an inner earthiness and hints of cherry pits. I expect a long and enjoyable development over time, as this Rosso di Montalcino still aches for a bit more cellaring."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Feb/2021
2019 -
"The 2019 Rosso di Montalcino requires a bit of time to blossom in the glass; yet patience is rewarded, as an air of smoky minerals and peppery herbs slowly evolves into a perfumed display of wild strawberries, rose hips and flowery undergrowth. This is soft and supple, seeming almost fleshy at first, yet it gains harmony through a savory mix of mineral-tinged red berries and spices. A subtle film of fine tannin lingers, yet the mouth waters for more, as this literally buzzes with residual energy while inner florals slowly fade."
Wine Spectator, Aug/2021
2019 -
"Needs air to reveal its pure cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors. Light in weight, yet has fine intensity, a core of ripe fruit and a long, vibrant finish. Drink now through 2025."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Jan/2020
2018 -
"This is a terrific wine that is one big step above your standard Rosso and one tiny step below your standard Brunello. The Canalicchio di Sopra 2018 Rosso di Montalcino is a fresh and versatile wine. The 2018 vintage was cool and had more rainfall than average. Windy conditions dried and helped to concentrate the fruit right before harvest. This wine is made from a selection of the estate's youngest vines, with about 90% of the fruit coming from the Canalicchio area and 10% from Montosoli. I had a glass with a delicious plate of vegetarian lasagna. This wine moves across the palate with steely precision, breaking up any cheese, butter or olive oil flavors along the way. It offers a snappy, lean to medium-weight drinking style with lots of freshness and enough texture to withstand some near-term cellar aging. This Rosso was bottled in November 2019 and released in January 2020. Not counting large format bottles, some 40,800 regular-sized bottles were produced."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2018 -
"The 2018 Rosso di Montalcino captivates with its wild floral perfumes, balsam herbal tones and vivid black cherry fruit. This is pure and lifted, but almost fleeting in feel, revealing its saline minerals up front before giving way to notes of young strawberry and inner rose. Only a hint of fine tannin remains, as a pleasant flourish of inner sweetness tapers off to nuances of pomegranate. The 2018 is ready to please today, and probably has another three to possibly five years of pleasurable drinking in front of it."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2017 -
"Dark, earthy and potent, the 2017 Rosso di Montalcino holds nothing back, as a bouquet of crushed black cherries, balsam herbs and licorice burst up from the glass. This is deeply textural yet also slightly nervous in feel, with gobs of tart red and black berries propelled by vibrant acidity. The 2017 leaves a staining of primary concentration, as well as adolescent tannins to linger, forming a structured yet still lively finale. Wow, this has matured beautifully and still has a way to go. Nicely done, especially for the vintage conditions. Be aware that the size of the 2017 can become tiring after a couple of glasses."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Jan/2019
2017 -
"Canalicchio di Sopra pays special attention to its lower-end wines. I always like to point this out to readers in the search for great value from Tuscany. The 2017 Rosso di Montalcino is an immediate and enticing expression with soft layers of ripe cherry and black fruit. The wine is soft and velvety in texture with easy endnotes of cherry confit and crème de cassis. This is a great food wine. Some 25,675 bottles and 762 magnums were made."
Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Feb/2018
2016 -
"This is a terrific new release from Canalicchio di Sopra that arrived just as we were going to print. The 2016 Rosso di Montalcino opens to an extraordinary nose that is tart and sweet, fruity and spicy all at once. The wine is so full and generous, it almost comes out of left field. I guarantee that you would not recognize it as a Rosso in a blind tasting. The mouthfeel is tight, compact and slightly sour or bitter, but the energy generated from all the volume on the bouquet is enough to win your heart and mind. This is one of the best Rossos I have ever tried. It's a super deal (some 22,300 were made) so grab a bottle before it disappears."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2016 -
"A truly seductive mix of plums, black cherries, hints of tangerine and tobacco makes the 2016 Rosso di Montalcino impossible to ignore. This impresses further with its silken textures and ripe red fruits, but also depths of minerality and vibrant acids that hold the entire performance together. The 2016 leaves the palate reeling with a burst of sweetness contrasting still-grippy tannins and a mouthwatering freshness that is unreal. This is simply a “wow” wine and a huge success in the Rosso category."
James Suckling, Sept/2017
2015 -
"The nose is defined in terms of black fruit such as blackberries and blackcurrants as well hints of resin. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Drink now."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Jan/2022
2015 -
"The 2015 Rosso di Montalcino is so deep and sensual, darkly floral and autumnal in nature, with plums, clove and cinnamon. Frankly, it's hard to pull away from the glass. This is soft and enveloping, displaying rich dark fruits and spice in a slightly balsamic yet completely fresh expression. Residual tannins make for a grippy finale, as the 2015 tapers off to blackberries and mentholated herbs."
Wine Spectator, Oct/2017
2015 -
"Sweet, ripe cherry, spice, licorice and leather flavors course through the fleshy texture in this red. Balanced, with a dense matrix of tannins and fine length. Drink now through 2022. 3,500 cases made."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2015 -
"The 2015 Rosso di Montalcino lifts from the glass with an exotic mix of foreign spice, crushed rose, violets, cloves and a dusting of confectioners sugar. This is soft, verging on fleshy, held together by bright acidity with masses of raspberry preserve and hard red candied fruit that set off all the pleasure meters. The 2015 really shows the power of the vintage, especially with its potency, while tapering off to grippy tannins and hints of licorice. There is a ridiculous amount of pleasure to be found here. Drink up."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Feb/2016
2014 -
"Canalicchio di Sopra's 2014 Rosso di Montalcino is one of the very finest Rossos readers will find in this challenging vintage. Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, mint and rose petals meld together in a perfumed, silky Rosso endowed with real class and pedigree. In 2014, the estate did not produce a Riserva and plans to bottle very little Brunello. Much of the second selection of fruit went into this superb Rosso, one of the few wines of the year that truly overdelivers."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2014 -
"A mix of musky red currants, plum skins, savory herbs and underbrush creates a slightly earthy yet truly enjoyable bouquet as the 2014 Rosso di Montalcino unfolds in the glass. This is taut and focused on purity, yet also lacking dimension as subtle ripe red fruits and hints of licorice wash across the senses. It tapers off short, yet fresh, while leaving a twang of minerality to linger..."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Feb/2015
2013 -
"The 2013 Rosso di Montalcino shows soft tones of red cherry, wet earth, raspberry and blanched almond. There's a great sense of tightness and energy here that you don't get with many of the other Rosso wines of this warm vintage. The wine is aged one year, in both French and Slavonian oak respectively."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2013 -
"The 2013 Rosso di Montalcino is deeply alluring, with a dark mix of wild berries, Tuscan spice, pine shavings, menthol and hints of animal musk that form its bouquet. This coasts across the palate with prominence, showing fruit that is sometimes red and sometimes black, while saturating the senses with saline minerals and still-grippy tannins. Through it all, the 2013 remains classic and cool-toned in feel, but a bit nervous, while tapering off lightly-structured with rosy inner florals that linger..."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2011 -
"The 2011 Rosso di Montalcino seduces with dark depths of plums, black currants, brown spice, savory herbs and tobacco. This is sweetly seductive and at a beautiful place in its maturity, coming across as silky yet lifted and without any hindrance of structure. The result is a wonderfully fruity yet vibrant wine laced with cascading rosy florals and licorice tones that resonate through the long finale. Drink up. The 2011 is stunning today"
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Oct/2022
2010 -
"The 2010 Rosso di Montalcino is moody and dusty in the glass, with a undeniably classic bouquet of dried roses, sweet herbs, leather and red currants. This is cool-toned and pure in personality, feminine and lifted, yet gains volume over time, with minty inner herbal tones and vibrant red berry fruits. The 2010 is so pretty and elegant in this stage of its life, with completely resolved tannins yet also with the balance to let it mature gracefully for many more years."
Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Jan/2022
2004 -
"Crushed fall leaves, incense, smoke, dried cherries and flowery undergrowth define the 2004 Rosso di Montalcino. This becomes savory, almost meaty with time in the glass. It’s silky-smooth and round, with only earthy minerals to communicate its maturity, giving way to ripe plums and nuances of cherry. This is fully resolved, earthy, a bit musky and yet still fresh and alive, giving way to licorice and spice. The 2004 is moving in the wrong direction now, but considering it’s a Rosso—I have so much respect for this performance."