Showing a very crisp and vibrant quality of fruit, the Montevertine 2020 Pian del Ciampolo remains the most accessible wine in this celebrated trio of wines from Radda in Chianti. Based on the traditional blending formula of 90% Sangiovese with smaller parts Canaiolo and Colorino, it offers sour cherry, chopped mint and white stone over an elegantly polished mouthfeel. This vintage sees 20,000 bottles on the market.

This is a terrific value from the heart of beautiful Tuscany. The Montevertine 2019 Pian del Ciampolo reveals bright lines and a perky or punchy personality with plenty of tart cherry, raspberry and wild plum. The wine offers a naked and transparent interpretation of Sangiovese, and its pretty fruit flavors cede to hints of blue flower and crushed limestone. Winemaking sees cement and a quick 12 months in oak cask. The fruit is sourced from various vineyard sites, and 21,000 bottles were released.

The entry-level Montevertine 2018 Pian del Ciampolo is a blend of mostly Sangioveto (otherwise known as Sangiovese) with the complimentary grapes Canaiolo and Colorino. This is a delicate and almost subdued expression that reveals itself slowly, peeling back veils of tart raspberry, wild cherry, blue flower and candied orange peel along the way. After you've played the veil game for a while, there is a point of ripe plum or blackberry confit at the very core of the wine that reflects the vintage warmth. This is a lean-bodied wine with a smooth and polished finish. You might pair it with a Tuscan favorite such as ribbon pasta with wild boar, pappardelle al sugo di cinghiale. The gamey flavors of the dish will offset the wine's racy acidity.

You feel some of the heat of the vintage in the 2017 Pian del Ciampolo, a year that is notoriously ripe across the board, but that sweet darkness plays a fairly pleasant role here. As a result, this wine shows less dimensional than its predecessors, but it is still a cheerful Sangiovese to match up with some pasta or a tripe dish.

Tasted before its release, the 2016 Pian del Ciampolo is gearing up for spectacular results. This entry level red wine from Montevertine is fermented in cement vats and aged in oak for one year. This vintage marks a return to classic lines and a more subdued personality following the decidedly more exuberant and sun-ripened 2015 vintage. The 2015 vintage was its own wine, but 2016 brings us back to the basics with dark fruit and savory highlights followed by balsam herb and rosemary. The mouthfeel is polished and smooth.