By cork
The name SIRO PACENTI of Tuscany, Italy, is to old school what Bruno Mars is to new school. Which is to say, what’s old is new again and what’s new is old again. If Mars’ string of radio hits is a successful reworking of old classic R&B and funk of artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince and Zapp, then the art of winemaker Giancarlo Pacenti is to take the great winemaking traditions of one of the great regions of the Old World into the realm of the progressive. If Prince knew his funk, Pacenti knows his Sangiovese. The 2014 Rosso di Montalcino (“rosso” simply means a red wine, and Montalcino is where it’s from) is 100% Sangiovese, the same grape used to make Chianti and, the noblest expression of all, Brunello. This wine can be considered a “baby Brunello”—it doesn’t possess the stature of Pacenti’s great Brunellos, but it’s a great introduction to his style of rhythm and blues. The PS Rosso is silky smooth and fluid like the vocal renderings of Luther Vandross—the wine’s texture is its primary selling point, quite beguiling. With intermingling notes of red cherry, dark strawberry, plum, red and dark spices, and midnight chocolate, there’s depth of character and a wide range of expressiveness here—pure Marvin Gaye. But, in the glass, you could just as easily hear The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar or Frank Ocean. This Sangiovese comes from 15-25 year old vines, but its style is so fresh. –J.M.
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