2018 Montefalco Rosso Riserva

The 2018 Montefalco Rosso Riserva, a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Merlot, is remarkably pretty and lifted in the glass. Here I’m finding sweet violet and lavender tones that give way to crushed blackberries and spiced cherries. It’s silky and pure in feel, lacking a bit of the concentration of better vintages, yet impressing with its mineral-laden black fruits and inner floral tones. It tapers off lightly structured and perfumed with a twang of tart wild berries under an air of tobacco. I don’t expect the 2018 to be a long-lived rendition of Arnaldo Caprai’s Rosso Riserva, but it will provide a good amount of pleasure after another year or two of cellaring.