Wine Advisor
Salicutti, Rosso di Montalcino 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Eric Guido
The 2018 Rosso di Montalcino is extremely pretty and fruit-focused, with masses of ripe strawberries and cherries complemented by sweet rosy florals and a dusting of spice. This is soft in texture, verging on fleshy. Balance is maintained through a display of mineral-tinged red berries and a twang of herbal green citrus toward the close. What this lacks in depth, it makes up for with sheer drinkability, tapering off to a buzz of residual acids and hints of tart cranberries. The 2018 is once again a blend of fruit primarily from Sorgente vineyard with the balance sourced from Piaggione and Teatro.
About the Producer
The Salicutti winegrowing estate, owned by legendary Munich restaurateurs Felix and Sabine Eichbauer of Tantris fame, is a place of untamed beauty located in the southeastern corner of Montalcino. The precise history of the property, which lies roughly two hours from Florence, have been lost to the mists of time, but at least the origins of its name are clear: it refers to the stream that marks the estate’s southern boundary. Certainly few would have expected this patch of land to become a cradle for grand terroir when Francesco Leanza first tilled it almost 30 years ago. The estate house and cantina now form the heart of an enclosed 11-hectare cosmos, including 4.5 hectares of vines, an olive plantation and forest. “The land preceded us; it now nourishes our vines, and it will be here when we are gone,” Sabine and Felix Eichbauer affirm — a mantra that encapsulates their abiding respect for nature and its creatures and their growing concern about the impact of humans and the technology of culture. Salicutti is the first organically certified estate in Montalcino, with vines dating back to 1994 and soils unsullied by conventional pesticides. Wines are cultivated here as they have been since time immemorial: by heeding nature’s voice and following the guidance she provides. The estate’s simple rustic architecture has been gently remodeled and retrofitted with the forward-looking infrastructure of a modern estate. Sabine Eichbauer has led this effort, drawing on her experiences at the offices of noted Roman architect and designer Massimiliano Fuksas. The result: a refuge from the outside world, a place for independent life and wine production where true pristine beauty is given space to unfold.
