JANCIS ROBINSON – JUNE 2009
Rosso del Palazzone NV Vino da Tavola is in effect a baby Brunello di Montalcino at a fraction of the price of the real thing. Because it’s a blend of Sangiovese from the highly successful 2006 and 2007 vintages, it has to be described as a table wine and foregoes the right to a vintage date on the label but it is what Il Palazzone produce instead of a Rosso di Montalcino. The blend I tasted is known as 01/08, the second version, but a third version, based on 2008, will probably be launched in January 2010. The Gambero Rosso guide admits that quality has increased since New York banker Richard Parsons bought this small estate with its mere three hectares of vineyards in 2000. I was impressed by their Brunello di Montalcino 2001, giving it 17 points out of 20, and their current vintage also stood out in my extensive tasting of 2004 Brunellos in Verona in Italy. (I’ll be publishing my tasting notes very soon.) It is pure Sangiovese with a hint of the warmth of this corner of south- eastern Tuscany – much lusher than the average Chianti – but without any excesses of oak or alcohol. The wines, made with oenologist Paolo Vagaggini, are aged in varying sizes of cask. I would happily drink this any time over the next two years and would pat myself on the back for having found such an honest, pleasurable message in a bottle from Tuscany. It keeps well in an opened bottle for several days, by the way (a good sign that it migrated from tasting to dining table in my house). This wine won a bronze medal in the recent Decanter World Wine Awards, but I’m sure they didn’t make any connection with head office, however tangential nowadays.