(Wine-Searcher) - As Brunello, Bolgheri and the Super Tuscans skyrocket in price, Tom Hyland goes looking for bargains.

The word great is a common descriptor for the red wines of Tuscany; the word value is not.

Given that offerings such as Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Sassicaia are world famous, you would expect to pay a fair amount for these wines. Even the best examples of Chianti Classico, generally thought of as moderately priced, are not inexpensive anymore. So are value wines impossible to find in Tuscany? Thankfully no, but you have to know where to look.

A fine starting point would be with a Morellino di Scansano, a red wine produced from a district in the Grosseto province in southwestern Tuscany, near the sea. This territory is the southern part of an area known as the Maremma; the word in Italian means swamp, which accurately describes this area seventy years ago. Today however, immaculate vineyards, most of them planted on rolling hillsides, cover this land and yield notable reds that are often priced lower than other similar Tuscan examples.

The comparison has been made between Morellino di Scansano and Chianti Classico and to some extent, it's a fair one, as both wines are primarily Sangiovese. In fact, the producers of Morellino – a local synonym for Sangiovese; the word literally means "little morel cherry" – boast about how their wines must contain a minimum of 85 percent Sangiovese, as compared to 80 percent for Chianti Classico. However, soil and climatic conditions combine to deliver varying styles of wine from these area. At Tenute Costa, Luca Costa notes that the proximity of their vineyards to the sea, yields grapes "with great freshness and fruitiness", while sandy soils offer "very soft tannins". Commenting on his Terre di Fiori Morellino, which is all Sangiovese, vinified entirely in stainless steel, he says: "For us, Morellino di Scansano is a full Sangiovese, rich and fruity, with good body, but also an easy wine, one that does not need wood aging for refinement."

At Val di Toro, Anna Maria Cruciata, points out that "the Maremman climate tends to be warmer and drier than other parts of Tuscany", giving the local Sangiovese, in her words, "a much fruitier, sometimes more jammy flavor". For Cruciata, early consumption of these wines is recommended. "Many wines from this area can and should be drunk sooner than many wines from Chianti or Montepulciano." The 2013 Val di Toro Reviresco Morellino di Scansano, vinified in both cement tanks and barriques, is a sheer delight, a textbook example of the elegance and charm of this wine type. Other notable value-oriented examples of Morellino di Scansano worth seeking out are the 2013 Cecchi La Mora, the 2013 Morisfarms, and the 2014 Massi di Mandorlaia I Massi, while the 2013 Frescobaldi Terre More dell'Ammiraglia, a Cabernet Sauvignon from this area, is another fine example of value.

It should be noted that riserva offerings of Morellino di Scansano, are also excellent; meant for 7-10 years of cellaring, they are more expensive, but can hold their own with many other Tuscan reds.

Another value area for Tuscan wine is Montecucco, located north of the Morellino di Scansano zone and just south of Montalcino. Wines here vary in style from easy drinking and uncomplicated, to more full-bodied and worthy of seven to ten years (or longer) of aging potential. A Montecucco Rosso must contain a minimum of 60 percent Sangiovese – Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are commonly used as the other varieties in the blends – while a wine labeled Montecucco Sangiovese, must contain at least 85 percent of the variety.

At Colle Massari, one of the leading estates of the denomination, winemaker Luca Marrone, speaks of the unique climate that makes this area so prominent for complex red wines. Noting the proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and Monte Amiata to the north and east, he remarks that "this makes for a unique climate, with huge differences between day and night temperatures, which is ideal for ripeness". The estate's 2012 Montecucco Riserva is a notable example of the maturity attained in this area; offering impressive persistence and harmony, this will be at its best over the next three to five years.

Daniele Rosellini at Campi Nuovi notes that the wines of Montecucco have "common notes of Scansano and Montalcino", more subdued than the former, but with "elegance and finesse without the austerity of Brunello di Montalcino". His 2013 Montecucco Sangiovese, 100% of that variety that was matured in large Slavonian oak casks, is a stellar wine, with superb varietal focus, silky tannins and good acidity; it is a delicious partner for lamb or pork tonight, but will drink even better after three to five aditional years of aging.

Interestingly, there are a few Brunello producers that also release a Montecucco; among the finest examples are Ciacci Piccolomini, whose 2011 is a bit more forward and drinkable than their Brunello, but just as stylish at a fraction of the price, and Livio Sassetti, with their 2012 Montecucco Sangiovese La Querciolina, aged in large oak casks, and displaying supple tannins and excellent complexity. This is a great value for such a well-structured Tuscan red; both wines will certainly bring more attention to this underrated wine district.