Welcome Guys,
this is the very first post of our Wine Club Blog and of course I have to start by introducing our beloved Vino Nobile di Montepulciano; many people confuse our wine with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, which is a completely different wine, made by Montepulciano grape in Abruzzo Region, in the east coast of central italy. We have Sangiovese grape, they have Montepulciano grape(we are more than happy and proud to have Sangiovese instead of the other grape to be honest, Lol) .
Like the other wines from Tuscany, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano consists mostly of the sangiovese grape — Italian law requires at least 70 percent. In this case, Montepulciano refers to the region where the grapes are grown. The wines tend to have a characteristic tartness and dusty cherry that can be divine when matched with food. The less expensive version of Vino Nobile is Rosso di Montepulciano, equally as delicious but more on the floral side and on the fresh/lighter taste.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a wine that takes name from the grape Montepulciano and the region where it is produced, Abruzzo, 100kms east of Rome. This wine is usually cheaper than Vino Nobile(unless you'd drink a vintage bottle of Valentini, Masciarelli or Emidio Pepe, for which 100 bucks would probably be not enough!)because its area of production is wider and Montepulciano grape is less demanding than Sangiovese: Montepulciano grape is fruit forward, more one the acidic side rather than tannic, its intense red ruby color reflects its ripe cherry flavors. It is probably more intense but less complex than Vino Nobile and sometimes its bouquet is not as perfect as it should be...Also, being its production area particularly wide, the quality of this wine can be higher(Colline Teramane area on the hills) or a bit lower (production areas in flat land)
Now, the name Vino Nobile means Noble wine, and it was named by mr Adamo Fanetti back in 1925 after WWI; he can be considered the first producer of Vino Nobile in history, and the person that contributed to the fame of our wine in the world...
Here in Montepulciano though, wine is made at least since the Etruscans, that were the inhabitants of this enchanted land 2500 years ago! In the Roman Era, in the Middle Age, in the Renaissance, many poets have declared their love for this fabulous wine...so we do now!
The name Vino Nobile, recalls the bold structure of this great wine and its aristocratic tannins; a full bodied red, whose elegance and name shine among the great Italian wines! As said, main variety is Sangiovese, called Prugnolo gentile here, traditionally blended with local grapes such as floral Canaiolo , red ruby colored Colorino and spicy Mammolo: this is the old school Vino Nobile, aged for 2 years in Big Barrels in order to preserve its vibrant acidity and floral bouquet. Since the 90s, a new school of Vino Nobile started when some producers decided to introduce international grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet, aging wine in small barriques in order to give more structure and oaky flavors.
The younger brother of Vino Nobile is Rosso di Montepulciano, aged for 12 months, while the older is the Vino Nobile Riserva, aged for minimum 3 years.
Number of wineries will suprise you, 230 producers in such a small town! Most of the wineries are family-run, and produce a very small amount of bottles per year, taking good care of both the vineyard and the cellar, passing the secrets of their family from generation, to generation.
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