Pian del Ciampolo, Montevertine 2023 - 75cl

Montevertine walked away from the Chianti Classico consorzio decades ago and never looked back, so a wine this pedigreed sits under the humble Toscana IGT label. Pian del Ciampolo is the estate's younger-vine cuvée — around 90% Sangiovese, fleshed out with a little Canaiolo and Colorino — and it is the easiest way into one of Tuscany's most principled cellars.

The estate sits high above Radda in Chianti, where the altitude keeps the fruit cool and perfumed rather than jammy. Sergio Manetti built his reputation here on Sangiovese and nothing else, and the house style hasn't drifted: fermentation in concrete, ageing in large Slavonian and French botti, no new-oak makeup. What lands in the glass is Sangiovese with its face washed.

The 2023 came through a testing, rain-marked season in Chianti, yet Radda's higher sites held their nerve. Expect bright wild cherry and redcurrant, a lick of anise, and a floral top note of violet and iris. The palate is light on its feet — silky, gently earthy tannins, fresh acidity carrying a savoury finish. This is a wine about lift and drinkability, not weight.

Open it on a weeknight when you want something serious but unfussy, or as the red that gets a long lunch going. It rewards a bottle you actually enjoy rather than one you reverently decant.

How to Serve

Serve at 16°C in a Burgundy-style glass. A 30-minute decant helps it open, though it's forgiving straight from the bottle. No need to age — it drinks beautifully now.

Where to Drink It

Noble Rot in Bloomsbury, for a Tuscan red among people who take Sangiovese seriously. Brat in Shoreditch, where the wood-fired cooking loves this kind of savoury lift. The River Cafe, if you want it on its home turf.

Food Pairings

Bistecca or a rare-grilled steak is the obvious call. I'd steer it towards a plate of tagliatelle with a slow ragù — the acidity cuts through the richness and keeps you coming back.