Rosso di Montepulciano always takes a backseat to the more well known Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The same is true for Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino. I get it but these second wines can be supreme and are perfect with simple fare on any given Sunday, like tonight. I had a hotdog on the grill and some other items and Susanna Crociani’s Rosso di Montepulciano was a perfect complement to this light fare. I had it last night too, paired with a simple pasta with tomato sauce.

While not fancy, this wine is anything but banal. It has depth and persistence and beautiful aromas of cherry, earth and bramble as well as a savory quality. Sweet spice and juicy tannins completed the picture.

Sangiovese is the most food friendly grape with great acidity. The wine is  made with indigenous varieties:  Prugnolo gentile (Sangiovese) 60%, Canaiolo nero 15%, Mammolo 15%, Colorino 5%, Pulcinculo 5%.

Susannah’s winery is on the more traditional side of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wineries. She’s a dear friend and I am always so happy to drink her wines. It makes me feel like I am visiting her beautiful agriturismo.

When I think of Mammolo, one of the grapes in the blend, I think of Susanna. She always reminds people that Mammolo is also the name of one of the Seven Dwarfs, Bashful. Mammolo is a hardy and somewhat rustic grape that is usually found in blends rather than as a mono-varietal wine. Colorino is a grape that gives a lot of color to a blend.

I’ve written about Susanna often in the past. I like to write about women in the industry and especially Italian women who own wineries.