Troncone 2024, Le Ragnaie

Slightly more tannin, but otherwise perfectly balanced.

"Troncone" (meaning "stump") was the nickname of founder Riccardo Campinoti's grandfather, and there's also a literal tree stump in the sandstone-limestone-clay vineyard, giving the name a double meaning; the estate name "Le Ragnaie" is Etruscan for "spiderweb," reflected in the netting motif on the label. Campinoti has made Le Ragnaie a benchmark modern Montalcino producer by farming some of the appellation's highest vineyards organically and aging in large casks, favoring a translucent, mineral, "Burgundian" style of Sangiovese over the region's typical power and density; this bottling, once labeled Chianti Colli Senesi, macerates on skins for about two weeks before roughly 12 months in large casks and additional time in concrete, resulting in a bright, energetic, food-friendly wine — a fresher, more accessible counterpart to the estate's more serious Brunello di Montalcino.