The flagship wine of the historic Umbrian winery takes third place in the annual ranking published by Gentleman magazine
February 2023 – Lungarotti’s Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio 2018 is the third most awarded wine by Italian wine guides. This was revealed by the 2023 ranking of the 100 best red wines compiled by the monthly Gentleman magazine, in which the standard-bearer of the historic Umbrian winery takes the podium after Sassicaia 2019 and Montiano 2019.
The Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio 2018 came third by cross-referencing and adding up the scores of the six most authoritative Italian wine guides: Vini d’Italia (Gambero Rosso), I vini di Veronelli, Bibenda (Fondazione Italiana Sommelier), Vitae (Associazione Italiana Sommelier), Annuario dei migliori vini italiani (Luca Maroni) and Guida essenziale ai vini d’Italia (Daniele Cernilli). An important result for this label that wrote the history of Lungarotti and of Italian enology, becoming one of the best known and most appreciated red wines in the world.
“We are delighted to have reached the top of this prestigious classification, which every year crowns the best red wines in Italy” – declares Chiara Lungarotti, Chief Executive Officer of the family company. “This result rewards our flagship wine, but above all the daily work of our entire fantastic team!”
The first harvest of the Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio (Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG) dates back to 1964, when Giorgio Lungarotti, founder of the company and pioneer of modern Italian
enology, realised that extraordinary Sangiovese grapes could be obtained from the Monticchio vineyard on the hills of Torgiano, thanks also to a perfect exposure. Innovative for its time, right from the first vintage, this pure Sangiovese immediately stood out for its clear personality. The colour is a brilliant ruby and the characters are those typical of the people of Umbria, reserved but generous. A wine of great structure, suitable for long ageing, which displays a unique balance between power and elegance and is only produced in the best vintages.
Notes on the 2018 vintage
The Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio 2018 is a long-lived wine as the maturation was perfectly balanced, the alcohol content lower and the acidity more pronounced than in the hot 2017 vintage. In the glass, it releases the intensity of a cherry in spirit, immediately chased by deeper notes of liquorice, cinchona and gunpowder. The aromatic boost is typical of the vintage, director of the complex narrative of Vigna Monticchio’s aromas. On the nose, hints of sour cherry, bitter cocoa, marzipan, date and black tea take over, held together by a delicate balsamicity that accompanies a more Mediterranean closure centred on blood orange and myrtle. The sip reveals a measured concentration that leads to a constant and harmonious intensity in expressing a sartorial tannin similar to a caress. A perfectly coordinated dance step for a Vigna Monticchio vintage that will leave its mark.
