1994 Conti Costanti Rosso di Montalcino

Conti Costanti is a historic, 30-acre estate in the eastern edge of Montalcino. The Costanti family has been in Montalcino since the 16th century, and they are part of the region’s aristocracy. Andrea Costanti, who now runs the estate, took the reins from his uncle, Count Emilio, in 1983. Count Emilio had made dramatic improvements to the estate and made Conti Costanti’s Brunellos some of the region’s best. The estate makes about 60,000 bottles a year. Gambero Rosso wrote in 2016 that the Brunellos produced by Andrea “are to all intents and purposes noble wines. Not only because of the Costanti family’s ancestors, but mainly due to the aristocratic expressive features evident for over 30 years in the Sangioveses nurtured by Andrea.” Vinous notes that “the property remains a reference point for Brunello.”

Rosso di Montalcino is a DOC than encompasses the exact same area as the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, the difference being that Rosso de Montalcinos require only one year of aging. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Montalcino, both the DOC and the DOCG, are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, appellation status Montalcinos are entirely Sangiovese. Montalcino itself is a picturesque, hill-top town not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975.

This red grape is largely grown in central Italy. As the sole component or in a blend, it gives us Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and Super Tuscans, among other favorites wines. The name is derived from the Latin for “blood of Jove.”