Le Ragnaie "Troncone" 2018

A solid Brunello masquerading as an every day IGT wine

Prices of Tuscan wine have been steadily rising over the course of the last 20 years. As demand goes, so does the price. It has also been harder and harder for producers to live up to the ridiculously Draconian standards of the local DOCs (certifying wine board). 

Montalcino is one of the most celebrated wine producing appellations in all of Tuscany. So when looking for a good deal here, you have to do some digging.

Certified DOCG Sangiovese grown in Montalcino has an altitude limit to be named Brunello; it's not allowed to grow above 600m. This is tough to do.

Ricardo Campinotti, the owner and winemaker at Le Ragnaie opted instead for declassification- giving up the prestigious DOCG designation and calling it IGT Chianti Colli Senesi. 

2014 was a rough vintage, so from that point on, all the wines from that plot were labeled IGT Toscana Rosso.

So what does this mean to you, and what does “Troncone” mean anyway? First, Troncone means stump, and was Riccardo's grandfather’s nickname. Secondly, this all means you are getting a great Brunello at HALF the cost! This wine drinks like a $60-$75 bottle yet due to it’s declassification, retails for only $25

“Ragnaie”, meanwhile, if you were wondering, is the name of the vineyard, and means “spiderweb” in Etruscan dialect. It’s the name of the net that hunters used to catch small birds.

This 100% organic wine starts with Sangiovese vines that are relatively young, at only 14 years old on average. The wine is fermented in concrete vats, and sees a year in Slavonian oak barrels to let the tannins and acidity settle into the structure of this beautiful wine.

In the glass the wine has a solid, opaque core of raspberry and ruby red color, with variation at the rim.

On the nose, one is greeted by a bouquet of red fruit and red raspberries, cherries, and baking spices.

On the palate, this medium to full bodied red shows all the elegant hallmarks of a Brunello:

Fresh raspberry,  red plums, and pomegranate lead to herbaceous hints of thyme and wild rosemary and a slight salinity with elegant, ashy tannins. 

The best pairings for this wine are of course steaks, but it also does exceptionally well with red pastas, pizza, or soup dumplings on a cool night.

Salute!