Tolaini Picconero Toscana Rosso IGT 2020 (750ml) *
Product price
$124.99
Description
Merlot rarely takes center stage in Tuscany, where Sangiovese dominates, but here it stands entirely alone. This is the Picconero from Tolaini, a Toscana Rosso IGT drawn from the Tenuta Montebello estate, made from 100% Merlot in the warm 2020 vintage and raised for two years in barrique. It is a serious, structured red, full-bodied and generous, with the ripeness pushed toward 15% alcohol and a scale that asks for a few years in the cellar before it truly unwinds.
Expect a deep core of dark fruit, blackberry and plum and blueberry, wrapped in cedar, sweet spice and cinnamon, with darker notes of mocha, dark chocolate and licorice underneath. There are savory edges too, grilled herbs, crushed leaves, a whisper of cigar and even a faint chile pepper lift, and the whole thing carries bright acidity that keeps a wine this size feeling anchored to its place. The tannins are ripe and velvety but still substantial, chewy through a long finish. Give it time.
Expert Reviews
Blueberries, plums, cedar and dark chocolate with some chile pepper undertones. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that have a velvety and refined texture. Chewy at the end. Merlot. Needs time to open with such a structure. Best after 2028. (James Suckling)
Made with Merlot, the Tolaini 2020 Picconero Tenuta Montebello is a thickly textured and powerful wine with a notable 15% alcohol content to match. Only 6,800 bottles were produced following 24 months of barrique aging. This is a broad wine with wide shoulders and lots of dark fruit stuffing at its core. Blackberry aromas are followed by sweet spice, cinnamon, Tuscan cigar, grilled herb and a hint of sweet rye bread. (Wine Advocate, July 2024)
The 2020 Picconero, 100% Merlot, is redolent of ripe dark-toned fruit, mocha, crushed leaves, incense, licorice and dried flowers. Bright acids and strong savory undertones serve as a reminder that we are in the heart of Tuscany. (Vinous)