Ridolfi Montalcino estate spotlight
Visit Ridolfi on Montalcino’s north-east slope, where high-elevation Sangiovese, marine-fossil soils, and a modern cellar shape a classically proportioned Brunello.
2018 Ridolfi ‘R’ Brunello — $38
Two 94-level accolades, classic Montalcino structure, and a $38 price built for the dinner table.
Wine Enthusiast awarded this 2018 Ridolfi Brunello 94 points, highlighting anise, fennel, sage, soil, cherries, bitter cocoa, framing tannins, and confident acidity. Decanter World Wine Awards separately awarded the vintage a Silver Medal with 94/100. Ridolfi builds the wine from 100% Sangiovese and ages it for 36 months in large oak before extended bottle rest. At $38, the offer takes $42 off the supplied $80 winery price.
53% below supplied winery price
The ‘R’ is the U.S. label presentation of Ridolfi’s standard Brunello di Montalcino—the same wine sold in the European package. This is not the producer’s separate Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Mercatale.
Four reasons Ridolfi belongs on the table
The price opens the door. Two exact-vintage 94-level accolades, classical cellar work, a clear label identity, and the elegant 2018 profile explain why the wine deserves a place at dinner.
Two independent 94-level proofs
Wine Enthusiast rated the exact 2018 vintage 94 points. Decanter World Wine Awards separately awarded it a Silver Medal with a score of 94/100.
The ‘R’ is a label distinction
This U.S. ‘R’ package contains Ridolfi’s standard Brunello di Montalcino, matching the European package. It is not the separate Mercatale Riserva bottling.
It is traditionally built
Long maceration and three years in large oak develop savory depth and structure without masking Sangiovese’s cherry, herbal, and balsamic character.
2018 favors elegance
The cooler, wetter season produced a more floral, fresh, and transparent style of Brunello, reinforced here by confident acidity and composed tannins.
The allocation opportunity
- Open with food: The acidity and savory tannins are made for mushrooms, veal, game, and aged cheese.
- Follow the bottle: Take six to compare the wine now and after additional cellar time.
- Build the case: Twelve bottles total ship free, whether all Ridolfi or mixed across ShopWineSlash.
94 Wine Enthusiast + DWWA Silver at 94/100
Wine Enthusiast supplies the lead critic score. Decanter World Wine Awards adds a separate exact-vintage Silver Medal, kept distinct from critic-score treatment.
Exact 2018 vintage. Decanter noted attractive floral aromas, red cherry, spice, moderate concentration, and an elegant roasted-coffee touch.
Six-Bottle Value Comparison
One unit throughout: the same six bottles at ShopWineSlash, Wine Enthusiast’s published $60 price, and the supplied $80 winery price.
ShopWineSlash is $228 for six bottles. Wine Enthusiast’s exact-vintage buying guide publishes a $60 bottle price, converting to $360 for six, while the supplied $80 winery price converts to $480.
That places the six-bottle savings at $132 versus the published Wine Enthusiast price and $252 versus the supplied winery reference. Review the exact-vintage Wine Enthusiast page (opens in a new tab) and official wine details (opens in a new tab).
The result changes the use case: this acclaimed Brunello can be opened with a thoughtful dinner rather than protected indefinitely for a perfect occasion.
Six-bottle savings versus the supplied $480 winery-price total.
Add any six more ShopWineSlash bottles to reach 12 and ship free.
Secure Your AllocationAnise, fennel, sage, cherry, and bitter cocoa
The 2018 is herbal and savory, with round cherry fruit, framing tannins, confident acidity, and the elegant proportions associated with the vintage.
Compared with the hot, dry 2017 season, 2018 was cooler and wetter, with a relatively cool August that favored freshness and floral detail. The vintage was demanding, but successful wines are praised for refinement, elegance, and a more transparent expression of site.
Cherries and red cherry form the core, giving the wine a rounded, polished center rather than excessive weight.
A powerful flash of anise softens into fennel and sage, giving the nose a distinctly Tuscan signature.
Soil, spice, bitter cocoa, and an elegant roasted-coffee note add depth beneath the fruit.
Framing tannins and self-assured acidity balance the round texture and keep the finish composed.
Pour near 64°F in a large Burgundy or Bordeaux stem.
Open before cooking so the herbal and floral notes can settle into the cherry fruit and savory finish.
Anise and savory herbs lead, with cherry fruit and firm structure underneath.
Fennel, sage, cocoa, coffee, and cherry begin to knit into a smoother whole.
The acidity and tannin provide the frame for additional savory integration over time.
Long maceration, large oak, native character
Ridolfi’s 2018 technical work is patient and traditional: hand harvest, native fermentation, extended skin contact, and large-format oak rather than a rush toward sweetness or polish.
In the vineyard: The grapes were hand harvested between late September and early October 2018 from Ridolfi’s north-east Montalcino sites.
In fermentation: Natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts lasted 14 days, followed by a total of 43 days of skin maceration with regular pumping over.
In ageing: The wine spent 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, then at least 12 months in bottle. The result preserves Sangiovese’s aromatic lift while building the savory tannin and persistence expected of Brunello.
A Tuscan name traced to 1290
Ridolfi connects a deep Florentine and Sienese lineage to a focused modern estate on Montalcino’s north-east slope.
Ridolfi’s official history traces three branches of the family to Florence in 1290. The Sienese branch held estates in the region, and the historic coat of arms now appears on the winery’s labels.
The Montalcino property is located at Mercatali, a place whose name recalls an important market from the fifth and sixth centuries. A preserved three-storey section of stone and tuff in one farmhouse still links the estate physically to that older landscape.
The current winery was renovated and extended in 2014 while respecting the original Mercatali village configuration. The Peretti family now carries the estate forward with manual vineyard work, organic-agriculture principles, native yeasts, and a cellar philosophy designed to reveal rather than overwrite the land.
Two pairings that show Brunello’s range
Porcini brings out the wine’s earth and balsamic side; herb-crusted veal gives its cherry fruit, acidity, and savory tannins a richer stage.
Serve the wine with either earthy creaminess or a browned, herb-scented roast. Both let Brunello’s acidity keep the plate lively.
Serve near 64°F in a generous red-wine glass. Open the bottle before cooking so its floral, cherry, and balsamic notes have time to emerge.
Porcini Mushroom Risotto
Creamy risotto gives the wine a quiet, earthy stage, letting its floral top notes and bright acidity remain clear above the dish.
Why it works: Porcini echoes Brunello’s soil, balsamic, walnut, and spice tones, while Parmigiano adds the umami that smooths the firm tannin.
View Recipe for Porcini Mushroom Risotto (opens in a new tab)
Herb-Crusted Rack of Veal
Roasted veal has enough richness for Brunello without overpowering the wine’s more elegant 2018 frame.
Why it works: Rosemary, garlic, and browned meat amplify the savory finish, while the wine’s cherry fruit and acidity cut cleanly through the roast.
View Recipe for Herb-Crusted Rack of Veal (opens in a new tab)94 Wine Enthusiast. DWWA Silver. $38.
This is Ridolfi’s standard Brunello di Montalcino in its U.S. ‘R’ label package—the same wine as the European presentation, not the separate Mercatale Riserva.
Porcini risotto, herb-roasted veal, game, hard cheese, and other savory dishes give the wine an ideal setting.
Wine Enthusiast’s 94-point review leads, with a separate DWWA Silver Medal at 94/100 supporting the exact 2018 vintage.
Six bottles are $228 versus $360 at Wine Enthusiast’s published price and $480 at the supplied winery price.
Six bottles • $228. Save $132 versus the exact-vintage Wine Enthusiast published price and $252 versus the supplied $80 winery-price total.
