Sangiovese from Tuscany may be the best source of under-$30 red wine in the world. But which Sangiovese exactly? Is it a racy Chianti Classico? An elegant Vino Nobile di Montepulciano?

Today, we’ll make the case that — at least with the delicious 2022s that are now coming on the market — your best and finest source of under $30 value in Sangiovese comes from Rosso di Montalcino.

One of the most fascinating volcanic wines we’ve tasted in some time come from the landlocked country of Hungary, specifically the area surrounding Lake Balaton. Made from the native Hungarian grapes Furmint and Juhfark, these wines offer a medley of generous fruit notes, refreshing acidity and that unique savory minerality imparted by volcanic soils.

The 2014 Cascina Baricchi Timorraso “Ca Va Sans Dire” is a total showstopper. It comes from a vineyard planted in the 1950s on clay and limestone soils. It spent the first 6 months of its life in stainless steel tanks with regular stirring of the lees. It was then moved to neutral barriques where it rested for a whopping nine years before bottling.