I received samples from a relatively new winery in Tuscany, called MonteRosola, which started activities in 2015. The winery in Volterra was bought by a Swedish family, who runs an investment company back home. If you’ve been to Tuscany, then chances are high that you know Volterra. It’s one of those beautiful, dramatic hill-top towns that are so typical for the region. But the fact that it attracts many tourists every year, doesn’t mean that it has a strong reputation when it comes to wine. As a matter of fact, Volterra is more or less a stretch of no-man’s land in between famous wine producing zones such as Bolgheri in the west and Chianti in the east. So setting up a winery in such an area is a bold move, especially if you have high ambitions like the Thomaeus family.

The Swedish owners left nothing to chance. The winery is impressive, with ultra modern equipment and the capacity to host big celebrations. With the rolling countryside hills in the background, everything is set up to provide a luxurious “Tuscan” experience. For the wine making, they called upon Alberto Antonini, a wine consultant who formerly worked as technical director at Col d’Orcia and head wine maker at Antinori.

MonteRosola has a range of wines with on the one hand the typical Tuscan varieties Vermentino and Sangiovese, and on the other a more international line with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Viognier. The price of the latter category clearly follows a « Super Tuscan » approach.

The samples that are reviewed here are the Vermentinos and the Sangioveses.

Mastia 2018, IGT Toscana Rosso

Sangiovese blend. Ripe and generous cherry fruit on the nose, with a hint of florality just after opening. The generosity of the fruit is also reflected on the palate and there is a bit of heat noticeable, both contributing to a very round mouthfeel. A layer of powdery tannins makes for a grippy texture and there’s a slight bitterness in the ending. The balance is not quite right yet here.

Crescendo 2016, IGT Toscana Rosso

100% Sangiovese. Brambleberry, blueberry, and prominent but attractive Bordeaux-style cedar wood. There’s also a hint of leather against a pleasantly smoky background.

There’s a lot going on in the mouth with the forest fruit that opens the scene for a boisterous mix of fresh acidity and relatively muscled tannins. The latter again have that powdery quality, like in the Mastia, but they are better integrated here. The spiciness of the wood and the texture of the tannins beg for more bottle aging, but the balance is right and the classiness of this wine is already obvious now. Everything is in place for this wine to become really outstanding in three or four year’s time. The « international » style will perhaps not appeal to those who seek for “pure” Sangiovese, but the fact is that this is a really good and rather elegant wine.

Cassero 2019, IGT Toscana Bianco

Vermentino. Very lemony nose with candied lemon and lemon pith, and a bit of pear. Vermentino often has a tell-tale bitterness in the finish, but here it is already present on the mid-palate. This full-bodied white is definitely not an easy summer sipper, but rather a wine to accompany a meal. I had it with several different creamy cheeses, and that worked well. This is a characterful Vermentino, and in a region where a lot of bland whites are made, that’s a good thing.

Primo Passo 2018, IGT Toscana Bianco

Vermentino. Quite subtle nose. Attractive, fresh and smoky nose with pear and apricot. Beautifully cool, almost mineral, with a hint of aniseed in the backdrop. The freshness is also clear on the palate with a precise vein of acidity. That Vermentino almond bitterness is there but it is well measured and adds a bit of structure in the finish. Vermentino is not the easiest grape to get right, but this one is spot on!

Conclusion

MonteRosola definitely has something to show. It’s great to see, by the way, that ambition doesn’t come with bombastic wines, as they move from rather full bodied entry-level wines to more refined and elegant wines in the higher price range. And a little surprising, also, to see how good the whites are. Tuscany is a famous wine region, but the fame is made with the reds, not the whites. So to see them taking Vermentino to a really high level with the Primo Passo is great.