(Tuscany, Italy – March 2007) Placido, one of America’s leading Italian wine imports, has launched a premium collection starting with a 2005 Rosso di Montalcino DOC and a 2004 Chianti Classico Riserva DOC.
Known for regional Italian wines with approachable fruit-forward style, Placido classic varietals already boast a Pinot Grigio from the Veneto, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from Sicily, a Merlot from Puglia and a Chianti DOCG, all of which retail nationally for around $9. The new premium varietals will retail for around $16 for a 750ml bottle.
While all but the Chianti finished in screw-cap closures, the new Rosso di Montalcino and Chianti Classico Riserva will be cork-finished in keeping with their respective Italian DOC/DOCG regulations and the moderate aging ability of these wines.
Chianti Classico Riserva comes from the delineated “classico” zone of the Chianti region between Siena and Florence, renowned for its superior soils and weather. It is aged for a minimum of two years in oak before release, as opposed to only one year for a non-reserve Chianti. Rosso di Montalcino is the proverbial “younger brother” of the famed Brunello di Montalcino from southern Tuscany, made from the same local clone of the Sangiovese grape but aged only one year instead of the four required for Brunello. Both of these wines combine zesty fruit nuances with deeper flavors that make them perfect matches for pasta in rich sauces as well as grilled or roasted meats.
The brand inherited its name from a famous Sienese family, the Placidi, on whose vast estate some of the Placido vines grow today. The land was awarded to the family back in the Middle Ages and remained in the possession of its descendants through modern times.
Placido wines are imported exclusively by Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, New York.
