Tradition reinvented

Cerasuolo embodies the most intimate soul and essence of Abruzzo: a wine that represents the mountainous and marine duality of the region.

It is the wine of tradition, the wine of Abruzzo’s yesteryear table, the wine of the family, the wine offered to distinguished guests; and yet, from being a supposedly outdated wine, it has become the new ‘avant-garde’.

The forze e gentile (‘strong and gentle’) Abruzzo region, as journalist and diplomat of the day Primo Levi (1853-1917) described it, is perfectly embodied in Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo’s characteristics: a rosé with the spirit of a red, and/or a light red with the fresh drinkability of a rosé.

It’s a multifaceted wine that can’t be pigeonholed.

Cerasuolo has the rare gift of substance and vigour, characteristics that come from the red Montepulciano grape (minimum 85% in the blend), but in a lighter, more slender and agile form thanks to cold macerations of 8-12 hours during production.

A versatile, highly fruity and very drinkable wine, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo’s ability to evolve in the bottle is surprising.

Being a rosé with greater structure, it offers plenty of nuance – attractive for consumers who look for wines that are full of expressiveness and invite them to take the next sip.

An everyday wine for all budgets, it corresponds to the contemporary trend for seeking wines that are authentic, work well at the table and are also suited to convivial sharing.

Versatile, approachable and gastronomic, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of meals: fish, meat, pasta, cheese, vegetables, or ethnic and fusion cuisine.

Special status

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo was the first Italian DOC formed exclusively for a rosé wine.

Changes to the production regulations effective as of 2023 now incorporate Superiore versions (minimum 90% Montepulciano) in the sub-zones of four Abruzzo provinces: Colline Teramane to the north, through Colline Pescaresi, to Terre di Chieti in the south and Terre Aquilane inland.

In cooler areas with a larger temperature range – the high hills inland – Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo tends towards a more subtle and incisive profile, greater freshness and modest body.

Contrastingly, the vineyards in warmer areas, often closer to the Adriatic coast, tend to produce more structured and mellow wines with intense, pulpy fruitiness.

The genuine frankness and softness of this grape are expressed both in its austere complexity and its pleasant appeal, reflecting its distinctive and naturally energetic character.

Extremely contemporary and versatile, it’s often much more than a ‘simple’ rosé, and sometimes even indistinguishable from a light red wine.

The name Cerasuolo derives from cerasa, ‘cherry’ in the local dialect, which immediately evokes both its rather intense colour and the particular chewy texture that make it easily recognisable.

Authentic Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo does indeed taste of cherries, and its slightly rustic fruitiness and texture can’t be found in other Italian rosés.

It can be drunk chilled in summer to accentuate its crisp fruitiness, and exemplifies the joy of sharing at the table.

18 distinctive Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo

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‘It’s easy to describe 2021,’ says Maria Stella Carletti from Poliziano. ‘After March, it didn’t rain at all.’ This dramatically simple statement about the vintage conditions in 2021, is supported by data from the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano consorzio, which details that less than 100mm fell between budbreak and harvest.

Drought was coupled with high temperatures. ‘We had one week in July between 38-39°C, and it remained over 30°C for an entire month,’ continues Carletti.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 15 top picks from the 2021 vintage

The other piece of the puzzle was frost. On the night of 7-8 April, a frigid air mass dropped temperatures as low as -7°C on the valley floor. ‘It was an abnormal frost,’ states Boscarelli’s Luca De Ferrari, explaining that it also hit vineyards at higher elevations.

As the weeks prior were unseasonably warm, most of the vines had already woken up and budbreak was underway. As a result, up to 50% of nascent buds were damaged. The resulting low vigour of the vines combined with hot, dry conditions yielded small, concentrated berries. Grapes matured quickly, culminating in a relatively early harvest in the second half of September.

In the modest set of 30 wines at a preview in Montepulciano, Vino Nobile’s resolute tannins were on full display. Many pushed alcohol levels of 14.5%. However, top examples revealed the region’s most skilled producers – even in this challenging vintage, some managed to balance ripe fruit and high extract with commanding tannins and alcohol as well as wood. Additionally, the wines do not necessarily lack acidity. They’ll need a couple of years in the cellar and will be best over the following eight or so years.

Demonstrating different styles, Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta and Poliziano’s Asinone shine. Boscarelli has coaxed out admirable elegance, and Tenuta Trerose charms with its succulence. This year’s releases also include exciting new entries from Edoardo Maria Vannutelli and Tenuta Golo.

Some of the denomination’s top labels have yet to be presented, however, and we await the new Pieve category which sits at the top of Vino Nobile’s quality pyramid and will make its debut with the 2021 vintage next year. Early previews show promise for the wines in this category.

Michaela’s picks of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2021:

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Jason Millar, Sara Bachiorri and Bruno Besa tasted 105 wines with 2 Outstanding and 32 Highly recommended.

Montepulciano: Panel tasting scores

105 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 2

Highly recommended 32

Recommended 60

Commended 8

Fair 2

Poor 2

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release vintages of Montepulciano red wines, with a minimum retail price of £9.99 or US$12

A staple of pizzerias across the land, Montepulciano is a grape variety that everyone knows but few love. Despite being the second most-planted red grape in Italy, it has struggled to be taken as anything other than good-value ‘house wine’.

This panel tasting focused on Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and showed encouraging signs of progress in recent vintages. It also made it clear that picking a premium Montepulciano can be a lottery, with little evident territorial definition and the range of styles wide.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Montepulciano panel tasting

First, let us say that there is real personality in the Montepulciano variety, with its bold fruit, modest acidity and structuring tannins. The grape’s flavour profile ranges from tangy raspberry and blueberry to ripe dark cherry and fresh blackberry in warmer sites, sometimes interwoven with appealing herbal, spice and liquorice notes. It can support bottle ageing, but all of the judges felt, as Sara Bachiorri stated, that the ‘wines with fruit at the forefront were the best’.

Oak per se was not a problem for the judges: our top-scoring wine spent 18 months in barrique. Oak was only criticised when its use was clumsy and wines did not have the concentration or quality of fruit to properly integrate and absorb the wood. Unfortunately, this was widespread.

In fact, some of the most pleasurable wines had little or no oak. One of our favourites, Tenuta i Fauri’s Ottobre Rosso 2021, didn’t see a single stave, with nine months in concrete and time in bottle before release. Around one third of our Highly Recommended wines were aged without oak, and many more spent only a relatively short period in oak. As Bruno Besa remarked: ‘Montepulciano is versatile enough to take all sorts of winemaking styles, although producers should definitely move away from over-extracted, wood-driven styles.’

There were exciting indications that more innovative winemaking is taking place under a new generation of small growers. Semicarbonic maceration and whole-bunch fermentation were features of some of the higher-scoring wines As Bachiorri remarked: ‘I’d love to see more experimentation to tame the tannins and elevate the bright, wild fruit character of Montepulciano.’

See all the wines from the Montepulciano panel tasting

Having said that, cellar work will only take producers so far. There is more to be done in the vineyards to gain understanding of Montepulciano at the site-specific level – work that has not historically been valued in an area dominated by cooperatives and region-wide blends.

Changes from the 2023 vintage to introduce a Superiore level and consolidate myriad IGTs into one Terre d’Abruzzo classification should help the better wines stand out from the mass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, which covers the entire region. But currently, with wines from the Riserva DOC classification in this tasting scoring only marginally higher on average than the regular DOC designation, and Colline Teramane DOCG only marginally higher than Riserva, the value proposition for wine drinkers is questionable. Besa was frank: ‘I believe the DOC, DOCG and Riserva designations have little effect on quality or commercial appeal.’

So what to do? Our advice is to seek out the rapidly improving, good-value wines from smaller growers and not to underestimate how enjoyable wines that have been aged with little or no oak can be. In fact, they were among the best.

Montepulciano panel tasting scores

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Jason Millar is a freelance wine writer, consultant, judge and communicator, with a focus on South Africa and Italy. He was formerly buyer and director at retailer Theatre of Wine, and in 2016 was the top WSET Diploma graduate worldwide.

Sara Bachiorri is in the buying team at merchant WoodWinters. A DWWA judge, she was formerly head sommelier at The Glasshouse in Kew then Chez Bruce in London, followed by a stint at Italian specialist merchant FortyFive10°.

Bruno Besa is founder and managing director of specialist wine importer Astrum Wine Cellars. A DWWA judge, he is originally from Friuli in northeast Italy, and was formerly a sommelier at the Dorchester Collection in London.

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Named one of the best new hotels of the year in Travel + Leisure’s 2023 It List, this restored 18th-century borgo is the embodiment of ‘approachable luxury’. American owners and seasoned hoteliers Scott and Shannon Kircher also own a hotel in the Caribbean, where they pride themselves on offering a ‘barefoot luxury’ experience. You’ll find the same ‘at home’, relaxed and informal vibe here – the size (21 rooms and suites) gives it an intimate feel, pop music plays in the restaurant, and Shannon and Scott enjoy stopping to chat with guests.

Don’t be fooled though. The hotel, which opened its doors in September 2022, and is named after the patron saint of winemaking, offers a level of comfort and service, and attention to detail, to rival the most upmarket hotels in the region. It’s not as flashy as some Tuscan hotels, and given the smaller scale you won’t find a spa or a choice of restaurants, but what’s there is perfectly done, and aimed very much at the discerning wine lover.

Tuscan countryside chic

The accommodation and communal areas have been styled in a rustic fashion, with beams and exposed brickwork featuring heavily, and olive green and neutral tones. Tuscan countryside chic. The area itself is relaxed too, off the well-trodden Tuscan tourist trail but not too far removed.

We’re in the heart of the Montepulciano wine region, around 10 minutes from the town of the same name – UNESCO-recognised vineyard vistas stretch all around, particularly special viewed from the terrace with fire pit, drink in hand. The region, which has attracted investment from top names such as Antinori and Frescobaldi, is home to the famous Vino Nobile wines. Famous, but not as famous as Chianti or Brunello, point out the owners, who feel the region is sidelined even in wine courses specialising in Italy.

They’re passionate about introducing guests to local growers, and educating them in the wines of the area, and have linked up with the Wine Scholar Guild to provide a twice-yearly five-day ‘Tuscan Wine Week’, an opportunity for guests to learn about the wines of Montepulciano and the wider Tuscan region. The programme includes private tours and tastings, including visits to Montalcino, a five-course winemaker dinner, and a special session just on the wines of Montepulciano. Guests can dip in as they wish, paying for some or all of the activities.

Outside of the set Wine Weeks, winemaker dinners take place monthly, and the excellent concierge service can arrange visits to local growers as well as estates around Tuscany. Or guests can explore under their own steam, using the complimentary e-bikes for the closest wine estates. Boscarelli, just a stone’s throw away, has a working wine farm feel and a respected range of wines – don’t miss the straight Vino Nobile Riserva. Other estates open to tourists range from Avignonesi, which has an established hospitality programme, to La Combarbia, a one-man operation where the owner speaks no English but does receive visitors.

Explore local wines from your restaurant table

Beyond wine, guests can use the concierge service to book organic olive oil and pecorino cheese tastings at local farms, cooking and cocktail-making classes, and tours of the region by foot, horse, Vespa, or hot air balloon. Or if that all sounds too energetic, the pool deck is a suntrap, and just steps away from the glass-walled restaurant overlooking the gardens, Il Ciuchino, and the Flying Monk bar. You can always explore the wines of the area from your restaurant table – don’t miss the moreish white wine made from the rare Pulcinculo grape, found only in the Montepulciano region, or enjoy a wide choice of Tuscan reds with traditional dishes such as peposo, a hearty beef stew made with red wine and black pepper.

Franky, the talented and enthusiastic food and beverage director, has started working with the Coravin wine preservation system to provide a good line-up of by-the-glass options. He’s also planning wine flights, including verticals and themed groupings such as Sangiovese, in its red, white and rosé forms. He’s equally passionate about cocktails, and the list on offer at the bar includes classic serves alongside creative, seasonal craft cocktails. The goal is to make it the best bar between Rome and Florence, a destination in its own right.

It’s an attitude that permeates the whole hotel. Only in its second proper season, and as unshowy as it is, Borgo San Vincenzo is already making a name for itself, and on the evidence of recognition already won, it will only help bring more attention to the wines and estates of this lesser-known part of Tuscany.

See the Borgo San Vincenzo website for more details.

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The newly released Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2020 vintage shows – in some examples – the region’s tough, tricky tannins poking through; however, the best examples convey the warmth of the summer through plush fruit and ripe tannins while preserving the fresh acidity and perfume of the cool finish to the growing season.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring new Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2020 & Riserva 2019 wines

Despite losing some production to late-season hail, Boscarelli was a standout yet again this year. Both La Braccesca and Fattoria della Talosa demonstrated balanced power without over extraction as did Marchesi Frescobaldi’s offering from the newly purchased Tenuta Calimaia estate. In general, these 2020 annata wines can be enjoyed over the next five to eight years.

Alongside the 2020s, a handful of 2019 Riserva are released this year. A successful vintage for Vino Nobile, 2019 favoured both the region’s midweight beauties as well as more robust examples. Overall, the 2019 annatas previewed last year give the Riserva a run for the money, but nevertheless, I have recommended a small handful of the latter which are well worth drinking over the next six to 10 years.

The 2020 vintage

Salcheto winemaker Michele Manelli compares Montepulciano’s 2020 growing season to the strange events of the pandemic that unfolded in tandem. ‘Instead of being characterised by one single phenomenon, there was a collection of small problems,’ he explains.

Winter was extremely dry and marked by above average temperatures until the end of March. Rather than the usual rainy conditions, spring ensued sunny and warm. It wasn’t until June that significant rain fell, replenishing extremely depleted reserves as well as bringing unseasonably cool conditions.

When summer finally arrived, it was hot throughout July and August – temperatures peaked at 37°C. Dry and sunny conditions continued for the first half of September, however as the month progressed, the weather became unsettled with thunderstorms and a drop in temperatures.

Harvest started on 15 September and continued until the beginning of October, with producers picking around the rains. ‘Grapes were slightly diluted, so we adjust with 5% bleeding,’ says Giuseppi Rigoli at Gracciano della Seta.

Top-scoring new releases in 2023:

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There’s much more to the Texas panhandle than oil derricks, row crops and windswept landscapes peppered with rolling tumbleweeds, particularly when it comes to wine.

The aptly named 41,214km2 panhandle of Texas was a result of the Compromise of 1850 wherein the state’s disputed land claims were resolved. The region is home to the Texas High Plains AVA.

Of the eight official AVAs in the Lone Star State, the scenic, central Texas Hill Country AVA claims the most attention for wine tourism, with the highest concentration of wineries and tasting rooms. Still, with more than two-thirds of the state’s vineyards, the High Plains is arguably the heart of Texas viticulture.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of 10 wines from the Texas High Plains AVA

It’s also considered the birthplace of the modern Texas wine industry. In the late 1960s, researchers from Texas Tech University, Robert Reed and Clinton ‘Doc’ McPherson, planted an experimental vineyard in Lubbock, the region’s primary city.

Its success would later lead to the founding of Llano Estacado Winery in 1976, which remains one of the largest producers in the state. It wasn’t until 1993 that the region would earn official AVA status. Home to more than 80% of the state’s grape output, it is the primary source of fruit for Texas wine producers.

Though the region spans 109,000ha west from Lubbock to the New Mexico border, the High Plains has an estimated 2,000ha under vine. Most vineyards are farmed by long-time agricultural families who have historically grown row crops such as cotton, soy and peanuts – another distinguishing factor for the region.

Many of these farmers grew up never having had a glass of wine. But they knew how to farm. Over the past few decades, severe droughts have pushed many families to seek more drought-tolerant crops. Fortunately, with the rise of Texas winemaking, many producers convinced farmers to begin planting grapes.

‘The majority of the growers in this region come from generational farm families who have worked the fields with hoes in their hands as well as with extremely precise mechanised agriculture for decades,’ says Katy Jane Seaton of the family-owned Farmhouse Vineyards, which manages more than 40ha of vineyards.

‘We’ve taken that knowledge and passion for the land and applied it to wine growing as part of a way to keep future generations in the industry.’

Soils and climate

The region’s unique location is atop the Llano Estacado, a mesa that rises steeply from the northern portion of Hill Country. Spanning more than 60,000km2, the Llano Estacado is one North America’s largest tablelands.

However, the terrain looks flat, with neither a rise or grove of trees for kilometres, the elevations throughout the Llano Estacado range between 900m and 1,400m. By comparison, the Texas Hill Country is 350m to 700m.

Spanish for ‘Staked Plains,’ the area received its name for its vastness. Early 17th-century explorers were often disoriented by its emptiness and would stake the ground to help navigate a straight line.

The landscape is generally flat, arid and desolate, with a perpetual wind that kicks up sandy dust from the alkaline-rich caliche that cover a subsoil high in calcium. The soils are deep with almost universally red, iron-rich sands, sandy and clay loams, and a hard-pan crust of calcium-rich caliche outcroppings throughout.

During the growing season, temperatures swing between more than 37°C during the day and below 15°C at night, affording grapes sufficient cooling for ripening.

While wind and a relatively dry growing season help mitigate disease pressure for vineyards, the most significant challenges include late spring frosts, early fall freezes and the threat of hail from thunderstorms.

Still, the High Plains yields some of the best grapes in the state.

‘In the High Plains, you get the warm Texas sun, but the cooler nights allow the grapes to slow down for ripening. It helps create a different richness in the wines,’ says Ron Yates, who has grown grapes in the Hill Country for over a decade.

Yates also sources many of his grapes from High Plains for his two labels, Ron Yates Winery and Spicewood Vineyards.

The grapes

When McPherson and Reed originally planted their experimental vineyard in 1968, they started with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and a handful of other French varieties. McPherson felt the soils and the growing environment was similar to the warmer areas of Italy.

At the time, Bordeaux and Burgundian varieties were the most marketable in the US. For the next few decades, this is what early Texas producers planted. But it was McPherson’s son, Kim McPherson, who took a strong interest in warm climate varieties from the Rhône Valley.

Others felt Tempranillo and Italian varieties such as Montepulciano, Vermentino, and Aglianico were best suited for Texas. As a result, the past 15 years have seen a proliferation of warm-climate plantings.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and other Bordeaux varieties still have a strong presence. Still, new plantings of these have dwindled in favour of grape varieties from the warmer growing regions of France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. In particular, some of the most promising include Picpoul Blanc, Cinsault, Albariño, Sangiovese and Montepulciano.

‘What’s great about Texas is we have no rules regarding what we can plant, which has allowed us to try new things,’ says Yates. ‘There has been a lot of room for experimentation with different grape varieties and blends. That’s not something you can do in the Old World, but it’s something we’re taking advantage of.’

‘We’re still young in our winemaking history, so we have time to figure out what works best. That makes making wine here so much fun; the sky is the limit.’

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There are historic links between the area and the Frescobaldi family, which will make Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG wines at Tenuta Calimaia.

Frescobaldi originally acquired the estate last year, when it was known as Corte alla Flora, and has now relaunched it within the group’s portfolio of Tuscan wineries.

Montepulciano’s beauty ‘is literally breath-taking’, said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Marchesi Frescobaldi.

‘Here, in 1390, our ancestor Lionardo di Niccolò Frescobaldi served as Mayor, and today it is our desire to renew our family’s commitment to a world-famous winegrowing and cultural area with such historically deep and still vital roots.’

Located 300 metres above sea level in the village of Cervognano, Tenuta Calimaia now has 70 hectares of vineyard and is predominantly planted to Prugnolo Gentile, a local cultivar of Sangiovese, according to a spokesperson. There is also some Merlot and Syrah.

Frescobaldi recently completed its second harvest at the estate, in a 2022 vintage that the group said is set to yield some superb wines in parts of Tuscany but also provided heat and drought-related challenges.

‘We will all long remember the lengthy absence of any rainfall that impacted Europe during spring and summer, with temperatures well above average in May and June,’ Lamberto Frescobaldi, commenting on the harvest in general across Tuscany.

Emergency irrigation was required in some areas, but Frescobaldi added, ‘Beneficial rains in mid-August turned out to be the crucial key to a superb-quality 2022 grape crop.’

At Calimaia, the group said sand-veined illite clay soils allow vine roots to penetrate deeply and cope with water stress.

It said the year confirmed the particular qualities of Prugnolo Gentile in the area. A ‘very careful, hands-on fermentation allows the extraction of elegant, velvet-smooth tannins’, it added.

Across the group’s other Tuscan properties, Frescobaldi said CastelGiocondo in Montalcino has seen ‘a five-star harvest, yielding powerful, richly-tannined wines that will benefit from slow, lengthy maturations in oak’.

Still, ‘the 2022 Brunello [di Montalcino] will be produced in limited quantities’, it said.

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After missing out on the full extent of last year’s releases, I was delighted to return to Montepulciano to taste the recently bottled 2019 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and 2018 Riserva. The two vintages made for an interesting comparison in what separates a good vintage from a potentially great one, particularly when the Riserva category is considered.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano releases

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2019

First to 2019, which Luca De Ferrari at Boscarelli describes as a balanced year. ‘There weren’t extraordinary excesses that needed to be compensated for.’

After abundant rainfall in April and May, June was dry with above-average temperatures. Very warm, dry conditions continued through July and August, though rarely did it exceed 35 to 36°C. Both months saw short but intense rainfall over a couple of days, which helped curb water stress. September temperatures were consistent with seasonal norms.

See all 20 Vino di Montepulciano 2019 & 2018 Riserva wines tasted

Due to unstable weather during flowering, bunches were less compact in 2019 than usual – but there were plenty of them. ‘We did a very severe thinning but still harvested more than usual,’ says Giovanni Capuano, manager of the Bindella estate. Rain between 22-24 September prompted picking but most of the Vino Nobile harvest took place during the first two weeks of October.

According to Capuano, the timing of harvest was key. Ripening started in September when temperatures had already begun to cool down. ‘Even with a generous crop load, the grapes achieved incredible concentration with lots of acidity and complex aromas,’ he states.

See all of our Tuscany vintage reports

Salcheto winemaker Michele Manelli emphasises the warmth of the vintage. ‘It allowed us to make a rather rich wine that veers more to power but is still balanced with freshness.’ He defines it as riper than 2016 but dialled down from 2017.

At the preview tasting, a manageable 27 wines made it easy to try all blind, as I do every year. While there were a few pleasant surprises, overall it is the same estates that stand out again this year.

Superficially, 2019 presents as positively plump. More profoundly, the vintage demonstrates the differences between the region’s various zones, showing them to their advantage. Warmer pockets yielded fleshy, chewy wines yet these were rarely heavy or overripe. From cooler corners, the wines are beautifully midweight but not skinny and crucially have achieved ripe flavours and tannins. Tangy acidity underlies both.

While a handful could do with another year in bottle, most should offer loads of enjoyment over the next seven to ten years. The vintage was kind to the region’s often austere tannins though a tendency to over-extract persists in certain wines.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2018

Juxtaposed with 2019, a dozen 2018 Riserva were trotted out. Cool and rainy until mid-July, the season then progressed with above average temperatures and below-average rainfall. Despite a warm finish to the year, the 2018 Vino Nobile presented as from a fresh vintage – vibrant, slender and quite fine framed.

I was charmed by last year’s releases; the Riserva I tried this year, however, were mixed. Several were either tired from long ageing or overwhelmed by oak. A handful merit consideration and I have included the top five in my recommendations. Overall though, 2018 is not necessarily a vintage I would seek out for Riserva. On the other hand, with its stuffing and structure, 2019 bodes well for this category – I look forward to trying them next year.

Vino Nobile’s Pieve project

I attended a preview tasting of the region’s new top tier which will be launched with the 2020 vintage. The category highlights 12 sub-areas with the goal of giving greater esteem to the territory. Given ageing regulations of 36 months (12 in wood), we won’t see these nascent wines until 2024.

In the interim, Vino Nobile has plenty to offer, particularly from its munificent 2019 vintage.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano producers to know

Salcheto: Led by winemaker Michele Manelli, Salcheto delivers a range of truly delicious and environmentally conscious wines.

Le Bertille: Bertille is quietly making refreshingly midweight, unforced Vino Nobile deserving of attention.

Bindella: Enormous investment in the cellar and vineyards over the last decade shows through in wines that are stylish with substance.

Michaela’s favourite newly released Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Boscarelli, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2019: Fleshy, chewy, racy and nuanced – simply one of the best straight up Vino Nobiles I have tasted.

Dei, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2019: A serious and masterly demonstration of vintage and territory in perfect balance.

Il Molinaccio, La Spinosa, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2019: From a cool pocket of Montepulciano, this is textured, crunchy and pure with huge drinkability.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano releases 2022: Top scorers

See all 20 Vino di Montepulciano 2019 & 2018 Riserva wines tasted 

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Terra di Monteverro: Every vintage of this mini SuperTuscan

Italy is known in the wine world for its multitudinous grape varieties, stunning scenery and outstanding food. While many wine lovers head straight for the cypress-covered hills of Tuscany, or the foggy heights of Piedmont in the northwest, there are three regions that – in my opinion – are Italy’s best-kept secrets, adjoining north-south down the country’s central Adriatic coast: Marche, Abruzzo and Molise.

Here, where the sea meets the mountains, some of Italy’s finest grapes – white Pecorino and Trebbiano, or red Montepulciano and Tintilia – give their best expression.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 Marche, Abruzzo and Molise wines worth seeking out

Marche

Sandwiched between the perhaps better-known regions of Emilia Romagna in the north and Abruzzo in the south, Marche has approximately 17,000ha under vine, according to the Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini, and more than 12,000 growers. Production here is largely white, with Trebbiano widely planted all over the territory, but Marche is also home to one of the most famous grapes in Italy: Verdicchio.

The region plays host to the vineyards of two main types of Verdicchio: Castelli di Jesi DOC and di Matelica DOC. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is the better-known and more prestigious appellation and, due to the close proximity of the sea, it can offer a range of styles, from light and fresh to rich, full and complex, largely depending on how and if the wines are aged, and on the level of lees contact during production. Verdicchio di Matelica, being more inland, tends to have a higher-toned and fresher character and can offer great ageing potential.

Verdicchio is a very versatile grape, and it can be found not only in its still form but also in sparkling (both Charmat and traditional method), and even sweet passito wines. The dry wine is best enjoyed with seafood and, thanks to its crisp character, it makes a great aperitif; the more complex and aged wines can be easily matched with chicken and veal, or alternatively monkfish or sea bream.

If you’re looking for great Pecorino and Passerina, the wines from Offida have structure, richness and length. Promoted to DOCG status in 2011, Offida is a small area, just 463ha in 2019, in the far south of the Marche by the border with Abruzzo, reaching inland almost as far as Ascoli Piceno town. Likely the more familiar of the two, Pecorino is incredibly versatile, allegedly named after the local sheep (‘pecora’) and their fondness for the grapes grown locally. The vines prefer cooler areas where the grapes can benefit from breezes, allowing a long ripening season. Pecorino wines can be simple and refreshing if fermented in stainless steel, or rich and complex if aged in oak, offering a wide range of aromas and textures.

Even though the Marche region is famous for the production of white wines, there are also a few red appellations producing notable wines.

Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, produced just up the coast from the city of Ancona, is a very particular and interesting wine; the Lacrima grape has intense, almost perfumed notes of violets, strawberries and lavender, with firm tannins. It can be produced in a passito style as well.

The name Lacrima, literally ‘teardrop’, could relate to the shape of the grape, or the fact that the skins of the ripened grapes can split, causing juice to seep out. Montepulciano in Marche produces deep, juicy reds, sometimes blended with Sangiovese and sometimes international varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The results are medium- to full-bodied wines that are packed with rustic tannins, layers of red forest fruits and plenty of earthy undertones.

Marche producers are increasingly becoming completely organic, such as third-generation family-run Tenuta De Angelis in the province of Ascoli, who believe that Passerina and Pecorino have a great future, especially when produced in a fresher, lighter style. Alighiero De Angelis produces a unique sparkling Passerina, zingy and citrussy, and a Pecorino aged in oak for 12 months, capturing the great versatility of the grape.

Another key player in the Marche has to be Umani Ronchi, the reference on Verdicchio and Rosso Cònero – DOC reds produced from a minimum 85% Montepulciano. With more than 100ha in the Verdicchio area, Umani Ronchi has been making high-quality wines for more than 40 years. Now run by Michele Bernetti, the estate’s best wine is its Rosso Cònero Campo San Giorgio, a stunning example of pure Montepulciano, aged for two years in small and large oak casks.

Abruzzo

Lying between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic, Abruzzo is the home of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC red wines, familiar to many, as well as several white varieties including Pecorino, Passerina and Cococciola. The region is blessed with a favourable climate; the vines grow in a sort of amphitheatre, protected by the high mountains and warmed by the sea breezes. In the last few years, Abruzzo has seen a huge increase in small and independent producers going back to their roots, rediscovering traditional grapes and terroirs.

Montepulciano is the most important variety in Abruzzo, grown on some 17,000ha in 2019 and representing more than half of the region’s total plantings (source: Consorzio Vini d’Abruzzo). Being a generous and vigorous variety, Montepulciano has always been seen as a table wine grape, but producers such as Emidio Pepe, Masciarelli and Valentini have produced world-class wines showing that, if planted in the right areas, this is a variety worthy of attention. It can be grown all over the region, but it thrives in the highest vineyards at 300m-400m altitude.

Another wine unique to Abruzzo is Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, a rosé whose distinctive intensity and depth is given by the richness and intensity of the Montepulciano grape. Valentini’s Cerasuolo has become one of the most important rosés in Italy.

Trebbiano is the queen of the white grapes in Abruzzo, produced all over the provinces of Chieti, L’Aquila, Pescara and Teramo. Known for its racy, crisp, zesty character, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo can be vinified in stainless steel or aged in oak, giving layers of texture and aroma. One of the most planted varieties in Italy, it is often seen as an everyday wine, high in acidity and with little or no personality, but the Abruzzo wines are a different matter – often with huge ageing potential due to the high acidity.

Most of the Trebbiano grown in Abruzzo is actually Trebbiano Toscano. Second-generation winemaker Cristiana Tiberio says that at her family winery they have replanted 5ha of Trebbiano Abruzzese, the native Trebbiano, through a massale selection [taking cuttings from top-quality, established old vines on an existing plot] to preserve the genetic structure of their vine stock.

The variety is prone to rot and burns easily in the summer sun, and this explains why the ‘pergola Abruzzese’ training is the best way to grow this native variety, with the vines trained across an overhead trellis system to provide their own shade. At the Tiberio estate, the Trebbiano is produced without any pressing, using simply the free-run juice of the grapes from 90-year-oldvines. The delicate Trebbiano Abruzzese is then fermented with natural yeast and fermented in stainless steel. With age, the wine gains almost waxy and honeyed notes.

When talking about Trebbiano, you cannot forget Emidio Pepe’s creations. Starting out in the 1960s, at the northern edge of Abruzzo, Pepe established a reputation as a pioneer for extensively ageing his wines in his cellars. He created a unique style that nobody even comes close to replicating; released slowly, and only when ready, the wines have stunning complexity, richness and depth. They are aged in concrete, and it’s here that the Trebbiano gives its greatest performance – released late, the wines are best enjoyed after 15-20 years.

Molise

Tucked in between Abruzzo to the north and Puglia to the south, Molise is the second smallest region in Italy, after only Val d’Aosta in the far northwest. Molise is not the typical Italian tourist spot, even though it is rich in history, with breathtaking mountains and hills and more than 200 castles. The region is one of Italy’s best-kept secrets – it was never promoted as much as other wine regions such as Tuscany or Campania.

When it comes to wine, the best expression is from the Tintilia grape, an indigenous variety with only about 70ha to its name in its Tintilia del Molise DOC stronghold, according to the local consorzio, and small amounts grown elsewhere in the wider region. Tintilia yields are very low.

To qualify as DOC, vines must be grown above 200m, with cool night temperatures providing the freshness required to make balanced wines. The sandy soils and sea influence of the Campomarino area north of the Gargano promontory (the ‘spur’ of Italy’s boot) provide the perfect combination of conditions for Tintilia (as well as Montepulciano).

Tintilia is, for producer Claudio Cipressi, not only a passion but also a true expression of a native grape from Molise. Situated in San Felice del Molise at nearly 600m, Cipressi has some 12ha of Tintilia. He produces several versions, usually aged in oak, but he also has a rosé, Collequinto, and a sparkling cuvée – Tintilia can produce metodo classico sparkling wines, since the grape has high natural acidity and plenty of freshness.

The most famous appellation in Molise is Biferno DOC. The white is a blend of Trebbiano and Bombino Bianco that gives wines with plenty of citrus notes, fresh and zingy, while the red is a blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico, usually medium- to full-bodied with plenty of structure.

One producer of Biferno, Di Majo Norante, is a top producer in the Molise region – its history dates back to 1800, and it now makes wines from a wide range of grapes in a very traditional way, respecting and valuing the terroir of Molise.

Falanghina, the white variety that has established a name for itself in the neighbouring southern region of Campania, is also grown in Molise. Thanks to the soils, rich in limestone and sand, the variety here produces wines with more freshness and higher salinity.

From light, crisp whites to rich, complex reds, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise offer the consumer a wide spectrum of wines and styles to explore and enjoy.

This eastern coastal slice of Italy will surprise you, not only for its memorably rugged and rustic scenery, but for its incredible wines that hitherto have largely flown under the radar.

Briccarello’s pick of Marche, Abruzzo and Molise wines:

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Frescobaldi confirmed that it has bought the Corte alla Flora estate near to Montepulciano and the group said it was excited about producing wine under the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano denomination.

Financial details were not disclosed, but Frescobaldi said it has acquired 60 hectares (ha) of land, of which 30ha are vineyards.

It marks a new departure for a family with a 700-year winemaking history in Tuscany.

‘We are delighted to be able to make our own distinctive contribution to the reputation of this growing area,’ said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Marchesi Frescobaldi and part of the family’s 30th generation.

‘We have made a commitment, with the passion that always characterises our activities, to further develop that unique character that marks the world-class Montepulciano denomination.’

For Marchesi Frescobaldi’s winemaker and technical director, Nicolò D’Afflitto, the move marks something of a return to where it all began.

‘I started to work in Montepulciano, in 1985, [and] it is a privilege to return to that prestigious denomination, where the Sangiovese grape creates such a classic yet one-of-a-kind terroir expression,’ he said.

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG denomination was created in 1980, yet there is evidence of wines from the area having been enjoyed for centuries.

Fans have included US president Thomas Jefferson, who ordered 123 bottles of Sangiovese from Montepulciano in 1803, according to the regional Consorzio.

Today, as well as defining the production zone, DOCG rules state that Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines must contain at least 70% Sangiovese, and may contain up to 30% of other grape varieties approved for use in Tuscany.

Corte alla Flora will be the ninth winery within the Frescobaldi estates division, also including: Castello Nipozzano in Chianti Rufina, Castello Pomino in Pomino, Rémole in Sieci, Tenuta Castiglioni in Montespertoli, Tenuta Perano in Gaiole in Chianti, Tenuta Ammiraglia in Maremma, CastelGiocondo in Montalcino, and Gorgona on Gorgona Island.

Separately, the family also owns renowned SuperTuscans Ornellaia and Masseto.

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After tasting 262 Tuscan wines from Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino, Michaela Morris has given her verdict on the latest releases from the region.

Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for all the wines she tasted scoring 94 points or above.

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Tuscany vintage reports

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018 and Riserva 2017

If 2017 was shaped by frost and drought, Montepulciano’s 2018 vintage can be characterised by its two distinct phases during the growing season.

The heavy rainfall in February and March that replenished severely depleted reserves continued until mid-July. Then, in an about-face, the weather became dry and windy. August through October boasted higher-than-average temperatures and below-average precipitation.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018 and Riserva 2017 wines

The wet weather of the early season made vineyard management tricky. Peronospora was a constant threat: ‘It meant having to spray much more often,’ says Luca De Ferrari at Boscarelli, estimating a total of 13 to 14 treatments.

Furthermore, the vines were ‘hungover’ from the drought conditions of 2017. Development was irregular and slow at first, followed by sudden vigorous growth. The resulting clusters were compact and tight with large berries. Growers were concerned about botrytis but this was largely averted thanks to clement weather during veraison and leading up to harvest.

Favourable conditions late in the season encouraged even ripening. ‘We were able to pick with the right phenolic ripeness early October,’ asserts Giuseppe Rigoli, winemaker at Gracciano della Seta. And at Valdipiatta, Miriam Caporali explains that a dry September made it possible to spread the harvest over the entire month.

Nonetheless, late-September rain challenged some. Though not dissatisfied with the vintage, Michele Manelli at Salcheto admits to being a bit squeezed, saying that the vines never completely caught up after the cooler temperatures early in the summer. ‘We would have waited a few more days to harvest but it wasn’t possible because of sanitary pressure,’ he says. Marco Malavasi at Il Molinaccio concurs, asserting that ‘2018 was a good year but not good enough to produce a Riserva.’

How do the Vino Nobile 2018s taste?

Complications due to the pandemic meant that I tasted far fewer Vino Nobile di Montepluciano wines than in normal years. Several estates had yet to bottle their 2018s at the time of writing, but the handful I did taste were from producers that I believe to be among the best in the zone.

The wines showed lovely definition of aromas, vibrancy and balanced alcohol. A couple of producers described the wines as slender, and they are certainly finer-framed than 2017 and less plush than 2015.

In some examples, the tannins are still a bit austere, but became friendlier after being open for a day.

Give these a few more months in bottle to knit together then drink over the next five to eight years. I look forward to assessing the full potential of this vintage when the 2018 Riservas, vineyard selections and late-releases come onto the market next year.

The dozen Riservas, and others, I did taste this time around allowed me to revisit 2017.

There is no doubt that in this hot, dry year it was a challenge balancing tannin ripeness and alcohol levels. In a few wines, pronounced oak exaggerates the fruit ripeness. Nevertheless, there were some pleasant surprises, and both Boscarelli and Dei even managed to capture Sangiovese’s beautiful aromatic intricacies.

Pieve: a new category

My tasting of these new releases coincided with the announcement of a third category of Vino Nobile do Montepulciano (somewhat analogous to Chianti Classico’s Gran Selezione).

The new designation, called ‘Pieve’, divides Montepulciano into 12 subzones. For a wine to qualify, it must be made from an estate’s own grapes, contain a minimum of 85% Sangiovese complemented by indigenous grapes only, and pass an analytic tasting commission. Among the dozen producers I spoke to, excitement for the project is palpable.

The name, however, will be a mouthful. Already, as of the 2018 vintage, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano must now include the indication ‘Toscana’ on the label to distinguish the wine from the unrelated Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The addition of ‘Pievi’ or a named subzone to that will be a lot to swallow. However, if it truly serves to elevate the region and its wines, then it is a giant step in the right direction.

With a minimum ageing requirement of 36 months, the inaugural Pieve releases from 2020 will not hit the market until 2024. In the meantime, it is clear that a growing number of the region’s producers have already made significant efforts to improve quality. If you have yet to venture into Vino Nobile, now is the time to do so.

Stand-out producers

Boscarelli: An impressive set of Riserva and single-vineyard bottlings demonstrate rare finesse in 2007.

Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta: Consistently elegant, and excellent value for money.

Il Molinaccio: An up-and-coming, boutique producer making unique but tasty wines.

Top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018 and Riserva 2017 wines:

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The rosé wine of Abruzzo – the region east of Rome on the Adriatic coast – is made from the red Montepulciano grape, the area’s flagship variety and one of Italy’s most extensively planted. Known as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, the DOC has only existed since 2010; these wines previously fell under the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC.

Cerasuolo translates as ‘pale cherry red’, and these wines get their distinctive deep hue from a short maceration of 24 hours or less. The high level of anthocyanins in the skin of the Montepulciano grape imbues the must with both colour and tannin in a short timeframe. This is in contrast to the fashionable lighter style of rosé, which is typically made by running the juice off from the skins immediately after pressing.

Often matured in stainless steel for several months before bottling, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo has a fruity profile with zippy acidity from a combination of sun, altitude and cool mountain breezes. The best examples are structured more like red wines, showcasing tannins and intense red fruit flavours yet astonishing freshness at the same time. Unlike many rosés, this makeup makes these wines able to age for a few years.

Carasuolo d’Abruzzo is for wine lovers who are bored of the endless Provence-style rosés, or who enjoy lighter reds such as Beaujolais Villages (or its crus), Schiava, or Etna Rosso. Thanks to its intense, tannic character with good acidity, this rosé is a great companion for food: from lobster bisque to a Serrano ham and pomegranate salad, and even dim sum.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Factbox

Just 970 hectares of vines are devoted to production of Abruzzo’s pink wine, significantly down on both the Montepulciano and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOCs (9,600ha and 5,400ha respectively).

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo must contain a minimum of 85% Montepulciano, with other locally permitted varieties allowed for the remaining 15%. In practice, many are 100% Montepulciano.

The wines are eligible for release on 1 January the year after harvest.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Superiore demands a higher minimum ABV (12.5% vs 12%) and longer minimum maturation (around four months vs two months)

Cherry-picking Cerasuolo:

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What makes a premium rosé?

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the flagship wine of Abruzzo, accounting for over 80% of the region’s DOC production. The soft, round, full-bodied and juicy red wines are made from the Montepulciano grape which grows and ripens best in Italy’s southern half.

Abruzzo is dominated by around 40 co-operatives making approximately 75% of all wine produced here, but it also has a roster of independent producers making good wines at reasonable prices. A small handful of pioneering producers, including Emidio Pepe and Valentini, make wines that stand head and shoulders above the majority of wines made here, and are held up as benchmarks for quality not just in Abruzzo, but across Italy.

Scroll down for the top 20 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine tasting notes and scores

With the total area under vine reaching 9,325ha (2018), Montepulciano d’Abruzzo covers a vast area. The western part of the region is mountainous, so vines are only grown on the foothills and the plain leading to the Adriatic coastline to the east.

Established in 1968, the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC’s regulations stipulate maximum vineyard elevations of 500 metres above sea level – although sites with a southern exposure can be planted up to 600m, which helps to counteract the strength of the midday sun.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is produced in all four provinces of Abruzzo – L’Aquila, Pescara, Teramo and Chieti – the latter producing the largest total quantity of wine. There are also five smaller, deliniated sub-zones producing high quality wines with stricter regulations: Alto Tirino, Casauria, Teate, Terre dei Peligni, and Terre dei Vestini.

Riserva

A number of producers also bottle a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva. Regulations vary depending on the sub-zone, but minimum alcohol is slightly higher and ageing requirements range from a minimum of 24 months up to a minimum of 36 months, with at least some of the time spent in oak.

During this tasting, it was the Riservas that particularly stood out, combining the softness of the Montepulciano grape and its elegant tannins with concentration, structure and complexity from longer ageing.

DOCG

The Colline Teramane bordering Le Marche in the north of the region has been singled out as a superior site for Montepulciano and has had its own DOC since 1995, which was upgraded to the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG in 2003.

Regulations for this DOCG differ from the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC in that the wines must be a minimum of 90% Montepulciano and up to 10% Sangiovese from vineyards up to 550 metres above sea level. Minimum alcohol is 12.5% and minimum ageing is 12 months, including two months in bottle.

Colline Teramane wines were not included in this tasting.

View all 40 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo tasting notes from the tasting

The (many) regulations

A maximum of 15% of other local varieties can be added to Montepulciano, and the wines must be aged for a minimum of four months. Minimum abv is 12%. The appellation’s five sub-zones all differ in their regulations. making it a bit of a minefield to work out exactly what you are getting in a bottle.

Alto Tirino Minimum 95% Montepulciano; minimum 12.5% abv; minimum 12 months ageing.

Casauria/ Terre di Casauria 100% Montepulciano; minimum 13% abv; minimum 18 months ageing, including nine months in barrel.

Teate Minimum 90% Montepulciano; minimum 12.5% abv; minimum 21 months ageing, including nine months in barrel.

Terre dei Peligni Minimum 95% Montepulciano; minimum 12.5% abv; minimum 24 months ageing, including nine months in barrel.

Terre dei Vestini Minimum 90% Montepulciano; minimum 12.5% abv; minimum 18 months ageing, including nine months in barrel and three months in bottle.

Montepulciano vintages

2019 A cool, wet spring delayed ripening but the vines caught up throughout a hot summer and mild autumn.

2018 A warm, wet spring threatened vines with downy mildew. A hot summer was followed by rains in late September. Harvest was not completed until early November.

2017 A hot, dry vintage began with frosts which affected yields, followed by extreme drought in parts of the appellation during the summer which forced an early harvest.

2016 Spring frosts were followed by an average summer and a cool, damp autumn.

2015 A relatively average year until a hot September forced some growers to pick early.

Tasting

This tasting comprised 40 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines, including several Riservas, kindly organised by the Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo. The best examples displayed delicious aromas of black cherries, red and black berries, and scents of herbs, potpourri or tobacco on occasion. The wines are typically soft and plump in the mouth, with juicy flavours of plum, black fruits, violet, chocolate and subtle spice.

Generally speaking, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is an accessible wine to be drunk within the first two to three years, especially when matured in stainless steel, although some examples – particularly those matured in oak – can be cellared for longer.

See the top 20 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo tasting notes and scores:

View all 40 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo tasting notes from the tasting

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Valentini: Producer profile

Abruzzo’s Trebbiano: Breaking the mould

Valentini’s wines are some of the most famous and sought after wines in the whole of Italy, yet the company is shrouded in mystery. It is not easy to arrange a visit, and the prices its wines command put them out of reach of most of us.

Valentini’s reputation stems from the great wines made by the late Edoardo Valentini, and since 2007 his son Francesco has maintained the high standards of his father.

Scroll down for Susan’s tasting notes & scores

The 250-hectare estate in the Colline Teramane DOCG zone in Abruzzo is planted with 40ha of Montepulciano and 30ha of Trebbiano. The number of bottles produced varies from year to year but, says Francesco, ‘we never produce more than 50,000 bottles, even in a generous year’.

What makes the estate so special is that it is working with Trebbiano, considered one of Italy’s more ‘ordinary’ varieties. But this is not just any Trebbiano – this is Trebbiano Abruzzese and Valentini is the magician who transforms it into something extraordinary. Even the ubiquitous black grape of the Abruzzo, Montepulciano, is elevated into something very special by its touch.

What marks these wines out is their incredible capacity for ageing, despite their delicacy and seeming fragility. I tasted the 1978 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo in the summer of 2019 and despite its relatively light 12.5% alcohol and no oak, it was intense, youthful and alive. The same was true for the 1979 Cerasuolo Rosé. A 1979 rosé! I could hardly believe the labels I was reading on the bottles. I am privileged to be able to taste a lot of older wines but in truth few mature into something more beautiful.

One of the big influences on the wines is the diurnal difference – the temperature difference between day and night. ‘Our vineyards are 10km from the sea and 10km from the mountains,’ says Francesco, explaining that ‘here, the mountains and the sea make the difference.’ The fact that it is so much cooler at night helps to slow down ripening, allowing flavours and aromas to accumulate in the grapes and helping to maintain acidity. It’s also notable that most of Valentini’s vineyards face north, escaping the direct midday heat of the Italian sun.

In the cellar, natural yeasts are used to ferment the fruit without temperature control. Very little SO2 is added, and the wines are unfiltered – consequently they can go through malolactic fermentation in bottle. Maturation takes place over 9-12 months in large old oak botti, which impart no oak character to the wines yet allow a small ingress of oxygen to add a textural ease.

The wines are released three to five years after the vintage, provided there is one – the quality demanded at Valentini is so high that not every year is deemed vintage-worthy. Indeed, since 1997 it has only made six vintages of Montepulciano.

Yes, you can get some bottle variation, but the wines made here are unique and have a strong identity. Valentini’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is considered by many to be Italy’s greatest white wine, and it is certainly one of my most memorable tasting experiences.

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Drought-like conditions that afflicted regions throughout Italy in 2017 were just as extreme for the producers of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano in southern Tuscany.

‘2017 made me aware of how important the combination of water and life is,’ says Matteo Giustiniani, CEO and oenologist at Avignonesi.

To recap this cruel year, the challenges started in spring. Due to warm temperatures early on, vine growth was well underway when nighttime temperatures suddenly dropped below 0°C between 19 and 21 April, damaging the nascent shoots. Alessandro Sartini, owner of Il Molinaccio, estimates a 15%-20% loss in production due to frost, a figure that’s echoed throughout the region.

As the vines tried to recover from this shock, the dry and hot weather settled in. The heat wave reached its zenith in August with daytime temperatures climbing to a scorching 40°C. At the same time, rainfall was a mere 5mm for the month.

Water management

‘We did everything possible in the vineyard to preserve water,’ says Gracciano della Seta’s winemaker Giuseppe Rigoli. Crucial work involved managing the vine canopy to shade the grapes and working the soil to avoid water evaporation.

Nevertheless, water reserves fell to critical levels evidenced by a loss of foliage and dehydration of clusters. ‘You had the impression that the vine shut down its vegetative cycle in favour of concentrating salts and polyphenols,’ explains Giustiniani.

Many producers removed bunches to help balance the vine and reduce stress. ‘We did two pre-harvests,’ says Luca De Ferrari proprietor of Boscarelli. ‘One at the end of August to lighten the plant’s load, then another at the end of September to remove cooked bunches.’

Reprieve arrived in September. Temperatures dropped by 7° to 8°C and a handful of rainstorms during the first three weeks of the month replenished reserves. ‘This gave a big hand to the grapes, hydrating them and even diluting sugars, so the alcohol wasn’t exaggerated,’ asserts Andrea Natalini, owner of Podere Le Bèrne.

Most producers harvested earlier than usual – by about 10 to 15 days. Yields were down substantially, with both Le Bèrne and Boscarelli quoting a 50% reduction overall. And everyone brought in small, concentrated berries.

An austere vintage

In terms of the wines, vintage conditions amplified Montepulciano’s propensity towards austerity. The wines tend to demonstrate less nuance of Sangiovese’s gorgeous range of perfume. They are substantial, though not necessarily rich. In some cases, over extraction and/or extended time in oak have resulted in dry, angular tannins. The most structured wines need to resolve but likely won’t gain in grace. Generally, the 2017 Vino Nobile will be best over the next three to eight years.

Nevertheless, even in a tough vintage, Montepulciano continues to show signs of improvement. There are some very good wines and these are a credit to the tireless work in the vineyard and skill in the cellar. The best producers coaxed out appealing aromas, retained freshness and managed to balance tannins. As usual, I tasted most of these wines blind. The cream always rises to the top and it is typically the same producers, though more are joining their ranks.

Alongside the 2017s, producers trotted out their riservas from the more obviously charming 2016 vintage. These are not necessarily better than the regular offerings of 2016 vino nobile. Those that stood out highlighted the elegance and balance of the vintage. While tasting these, I repeatedly heard comparisons made between the 2016 and 2018 vintages. Indeed, I tried some lovely 2018 Rosso di Montepulciano which bodes well for next year’s release of the vino nobile.

Michaela Morris’ top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016 and 2017 wines

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Did the Aussies get it wrong? Perhaps Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay aren’t the right grapes for Down Under. Surely this is an irreverent, preposterous suggestion. These grapes have enjoyed raging success.

Scroll down for Morris’ best Australian wines made with Italian grapes

Yet it is impossible to ignore the increasing number of labels touting grapes such as Montepulciano, Arneis or Sagrantino. While they aren’t threatening the hegemony of French varieties, Italian grapes are unequivocally on the rise in Australia.

Rather than approaching this new frontier with an overly confident swagger, producers are adopting Italy’s native grapes with guileless enchantment. Acclaimed Riesling producer Stephanie Toole at Mount Horrocks in South Australia’s Clare Valley went to the dark side after tasting Nero d’Avola in a wine bar in Rome. ‘I’d never tried it, nor even heard of it before,’ she admits. She is now crafting one of Australia’s finest examples.

Beyond the grape varieties themselves, the style of wine they produce has appealed to winemakers’ sensibilities. ‘I want savoury, medium-bodied, textural wines that have some tannin and grip,’ says Sam Scott. His La Prova label drinks like a love letter to Italy.Stephen Pannell, who makes wine in the maritime region of McLaren Vale in South Australia, sees them as a better fit with the local lifestyle and food. ‘I’m aware of living next to the ocean, yet we are renowned for making big red wines. Those two things don’t sit well with each other,’ he argues. Indeed, the region’s delicate King George whiting and Kangaroo Island squid beg for restrained, refreshing whites. Enter Fiano and Vermentino.

Geographic spread

Soul-searching in Australia is not new, and the rise of Italian grape varieties has been simmering for the last 40 years. Boasting the country’s first commercial plantings of Italian varieties, the Montrose winery in Mudgee, New South Wales, released a Sangiovese in the late 1970s, though it was discontinued after a few vintages. The mantle was then taken up by Coriole’s Mark Lloyd, who established a vineyard in McLaren Vale in 1985.

‘My inspiration for planting Sangiovese was questioning why we didn’t have anything from Italy, and why there weren’t more characters or differences,’ Lloyd explains.

Australia has been strongly dominated by just a handful of French varieties for some time. ‘It’s like vinous racism,’ declares Pannell.

The stampede for Italian grape varieties is particularly palpable in McLaren Vale. Gill Gordon-Smith, who makes tiny quantities under her Fall From Grace label, asserts: ‘They have given the region a point of difference from Shiraz, especially for small producers.’

The landscape here even bears some resemblance to Italy. The hills conjure up Tuscany while, looking out to the ocean, it evokes Sardinia or Sicily. After World War II, numerous southern Italians migrated to McLaren Vale. Many worked as market gardeners and established vineyards. Though Italian varieties weren’t readily available at the time, now growers like the Maglieri family at Serafino, the Grilli family of Primo Estate and the Zerella family are proudly embracing the grapes of their homeland.

Well adapted

Beyond the Vale, Italian grape varieties have taken hold throughout South Australia. From Langhorne Creek to Adelaide Hills, through Barossa and Riverland and all the way to Clare Valley, plantings of Aglianico, Barbera, Lagrein, Mammolo and Zibibbo are popping up. ‘They grow brilliantly and are made for our Mediterranean climate,’ says Scott.

A key selling point is the ability these grapes have to retain acidity even at full flavour ripeness. Adjusting wine for acidity is common in Australia and usually necessary for balance. However, for her Clare Valley Nero d’Avola, Toole doesn’t need to do any manipulation. ‘The acid is just perfect,’ she states. At the nearby Koerner winery, brothers Damon and Jonathan Koerner work with varieties such as Sangiovese and Vermentino for this very reason. ‘We choose grapes we think are suited to this area and climate,’ says Damon. ‘Chardonnay isn’t, and personally I don’t think Shiraz is either because here in Clare you have to add so much acid.’

Italian grapes in Australia

Top five white grapes (by estimated tonnes harvested, 2018)

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (aka Moscato Bianco) 22,322t

Prosecco (officially known as Glera in Italy) 7,082t

Moscato Giallo 2,785t Fiano 2,075t

Vermentino 1,959t

Others Arneis, Bianco d’Alessano, Biancone, Falanghina, Friulano, Garganega, Grechetto, Greco, Grillo, Inzolia (officially Ansonica), Malvasia Istriana, Pecorino, Ribolla Gialla, Trebbiano group, Verdicchio, Verduzzo, Zibibbo

Top five red Italian grapes (by estimated tonnes harvested, 2018)

Sangiovese 3,996t

Lambrusco family 1,884t

Dolcetto 973t

Nero d’Avola 898t

Montepulciano 760t

Others Aglianico, Aleatico, Barbera, Brachetto, Colorino, Lagrein, Mammolo, Marzemino, Nebbiolo, Negroamaro, Piedirosso, Sagrantino, Schioppettino, Teroldego, Uva di Troia

Heat and drought tolerance are an equal draw, especially as climate change has exacerbated weather extremes. In the particularly dry, hot conditions of 2018, ‘the French grape varieties struggled, but not the Italians – they just soldiered through it’, says Scott. Since the late 1990s, the Australian Wine Research Institute has been educating the industry about climate change and the solution of alternative Mediterranean grapes. Brad Hickey and Nicole Thorpe of Brash Higgins took heed after a trio of hot vintages from 2007 to 2009. ‘We were the first in McLaren Vale to plant Nero d’Avola and removed a block of Shiraz,’ recalls Hickey. While this was considered foolhardy from a commercial standpoint, Hickey estimates that there are now 30 people growing it.

Healthy concern

Unshackled by the kind of appellation regulations in place in Europe, winemakers have greater freedom to play with these grapes. Nevertheless, Australia has its own constraints. Strict regulations on plant material entering the country mean producers can’t simply arrive home with Nebbiolo cuttings from their favourite Barolo cru and stick them in the ground. Incoming vines are quarantined, cultivated, then tested for virus. If, and only if, a plant is clean is it released. The vine then needs to be propagated. It is a lengthy process. Toole put herself on the waiting list for Nero d’Avola in 2003 and wasn’t able to produce a wine until 2012.

Vine nurseries are therefore fundamental in the growth of alternative varieties in Australia. Yalumba’s Barossa nursery is a notable source, while Chalmers’ Victoriabased operation specialises exclusively in Italian cultivars. It has partnered with the Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo of Fruili, which is the world’s largest vine nursery. To date, Chalmers has made almost 40 native Italian grape varieties available to Aussie growers. ‘We’ve sold over two million vines of these varieties to between 300 and 400 different producers,’ estimates owner Kim Chalmers.

As impressive as this is, not every desired grape has made it through. ‘I would like to have planted Nerello Mascalese five years ago but it’s still not available,’ says Chester Osborn of d’Arenberg, who is already working with Sagrantino and Aglianico.

On the flip-side, Chalmers’ latest imports include popular grapes such as Falanghina, Pecorino and Ribolla Gialla. However, Chalmers insists that, rather than fashion, her first consideration is viticulture. She focuses on grapes that are suited to warm climates and resilient to the effects of climate change.

‘Our hit list of attributes are thick skins, loose bunches, very early or very late ripening (so that we are picking before the majority of heat or well after), heat and drought tolerance, and high natural acidity,’ she explains. She then looks at what tastes good.

Front runners

Italian grape varieties span Australia from as far west as Margaret River all the way east to New South Wales. Though still far from mainstream, they are no longer outliers as they were when Mark Lloyd and his cohorts Garry Crittenden and Mark Walpole in Victoria started championing them. The tipping point will be when big companies such as Casella or Treasury Wine Estates get behind them.

For the time being, producers are still trying to determine which grapes do best where. Jeffrey Grosset struggled with Aglianico in the Clare Valley for seven years and it didn’t ripen. ‘It was too lean. Most of it went down the drain,’ he confesses. With time, patterns might emerge, such as Nero d’Avola and Fiano in McLaren Vale.

It is also too soon to talk about a definitive Australian style, though current releases are impressive. What is most stunning is the brilliant, mouthwatering natural acidity and reasonable alcohol levels.

Whites are being made without oak or with neutral oak and everyone is talking texture. Fiano is truly a standout, with a range of expressions. Some are made exclusively in stainless steel, others go through partial barrel fermentation, and lees contact varies. La Prova, Grosset and Bondar are just a few to look out for.

As for Vermentino, a number of producers are trying too hard to mimic Sauvignon Blanc, but Oliver’s Taranga makes a lovely version comparable in quality to the winery’s excellent Fiano. Meanwhile, for something completely different, Koerner offers two very distinct Clare Valley Vermentinos.

Aiming high

For the reds, there are scores of mid-weight examples loaded with intriguing flavours. Oak, gloriously, is rarely overdone. The fruit tends to have a glossier sheen and tannins are typically less assertive than in the Italian counterparts. Sagrantino may be the exception to this, though it generally has plush fruit to support. Aphelion in McLaren Vale is aiming for refinement and the embryonic 2018 shows promise. Montepulciano (or Monte as the Aussies affectionately call it) is fruity yet polite, and lacking its rustic edge. Fall From Grace has just released a dry, dark rosato version along the lines of a Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. Above all, Nero d’Avola is a winner.

Considered Italy’s most noble varieties, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo will likely come under the most scrutiny. For Sangiovese, Coriole is still a reference. Zerella is going for a long-aged, Brunello-esque version whereas Koerner and McLaren Vale’s Juxtaposed are making a juicy-fruit style.

In terms of Nebbiolo, it takes a certain fanatic to tangle with this finicky grape. Stephen Pannell, as well as Luke Lambert in Yarra Valley and Pizzini in King Valley, are among the most gorgeous successes.

As difficult as it is not to make comparisons with Italy, Australia’s producers are adamant that they are not trying to make wines that look like something else. ‘We need to create our own industry, not copy,’ says Pannell. ‘That requires creativity, ingenuity and bravery.’

Australia has a solid track record of this. Surely it won’t be long before wines made from Italian grapes are sitting next to Australian benchmarks of French varieties.

Morris’ top Australian wines made with Italian grapes

The first 15 wines were included in the original feature in the June 2019 issue of Decanter magazine. The following wines are an additional selection exclusively for Decanter Premium members. 

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The 2016 vintage tested producers’ commitment and ability from the get-go, but if there is a vintage to rediscover Vino Nobile, this is it.

It didn’t start well: May and June were cool and rainy, resulting in significant disease pressure and mildew – a recurring problem throughout most of the growing season.‘We lost 20 to 25% of our grapes due to peronospera [downy mildew],’ shares Matteo Giustiniani, oenologist at the biodynamically-farmed Avignonesi estate.

July was dry and gloriously warm, with maximum temperatures reaching 35°C. Despite these ideal growing conditions, localised hail threw a wrench into the works for some. Production manager Julio Straccia estimates it compromised 10 to 20% of Gracciano della Seta’s production.

August brought moderately cooler temperatures than average, with a couple of days of abundant rain causing additional issues with botrytis.

Quick link View all Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016 wines from the report

The run up to harvest was warm, with sporadic rain mid-September. The sunny days aided ripening and the majority of grapes were picked between the end of September and the beginning of October.

Despite the various issues in the vineyard, Sangiovese was able to mature very slowly and without water stress. ‘It was the first time in our history that phenolic ripeness was achieved at the same time as sugar ripeness,’ says Miriam Caporali, owner of Valdipiatta. Nonetheless, ripening was not homogenous. ‘We did two to three passages in the same vineyard in order to pick the grapes at their optimal state of maturity,’ she adds.

Comparisons

In terms of yields, it was a question of whether or not an individual producer lost grapes to hail or mildew. The plants were certainly productive, with more bunches on the vine and bigger berries than 2015, due to the rain in September.

‘2016 was more complicated than 2015 as it required more selection,’ summarises Maurizio Comitini, winemaker at Croce di Febo.

Comparisons with the ‘easier’ 2015 cropped up continuously during my conversations. This highly-touted vintage produced bigger, more powerful wines with perhaps longer cellaring potential, however I found the 2016s more enjoyable with better balance.

The best 2016s offer great definition of aromas and flavours with lovely freshness, backed up by firm tannins. At times they can be somewhat rustic, but when this is subtle it adds charming character. Most significantly, the collective quality is slightly higher than in 2015. While there are still a number of over-extracted, clumsily-oaked wines, I noted less technically flawed wines than in the past.

Among the 2015 Riservas, there were some terrific wines, notably from Boscarelli, Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta and Lunadoro. However, in your quest for the best from Montepulciano, it pays to focus on producer rather than ageing category. The quality of Vino Nobile is steadily increasing. Now, producers need to work together to bring the appellation out from behind the shadow of Chianti Classico and Brunello.

Standout producers:

Boscarelli

Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta

Avignonesi

Salcheto

Producers to watch:

Combàrbia

Cantina Chiacchiera

Il Molinaccio

Michaela’s top Vino Nobile di Montepulcianos from her report:

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Chianti Classico

‘A dizzying array of new releases…as far back as 2013’, says Michaela Morris of this year’s Chianti Classico releases.

‘The annata wines from the notoriously hot and dry 2017 vintage held some juicy surprises, while highlights of 2015 and 2016 Riservas and Gran Seleziones confirmed these as excellent vintages.’

Brunello di Montalcino

This year sees the release of Brunello 2014 and Brunello Riserva 2013, with a dusting of of older vintages too, such as the Biondi-Santi re-releases.

Esile, or slender, was how producers repeatedly defined their 2014s. In both its positive and negative senses, this is an apt descriptor. Alongside these, the best of the 2013 Riservas live up to their classification and provide a delectable study of terroir,’ says Morris.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

‘If there is a vintage to rediscover Vino Nobile, 2016 is it,’ states Morris, who suggests focussing on producer rather than ageing category to find the best wines from the appellation.

Michaela’s top-scoring Tuscan wines from her report:

All wines Michaela tasted are available to view now in our wine database for Premium subscribers.

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Italian wine estate Avignonesi is one of several producers seeking to re-vitalise the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG by releasing 100% Sangiovese, single vineyard bottlings. Below, Aldo Fiordelli reports on a preview tasting of Avignonesi's four 'cru' wines.

After years of detrimental confusion arising from both the quality of Montalcino and the misleading marketing of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is regaining traction by becoming increasingly focused on terroir and on the Sangiovese grape.

Under the ‘Alleanza’ label, six producers – Avignonesi, Boscarelli, Braccesca, Dei, Poliziano and Salcheto – are each releasing their own 100% Sangiovese-based cru wines; differentiated from the DOCG that permits the inclusion of other varieties.

Avignonesi has so far gone further by producing four single vineyard wines.

About Avignonesi

Conceived in 1974 and named after a member of its founding family, Avignonesi was acquired in 2009 by Virginie Saverys who has worked tirelessly to transform the estate with organic and biodynamic practices.

Saverys built a young team with some of the most talented names in Tuscany, such as Adriano Zago, consultant for biodynamic viticulture, and oenologist Matteo Giustiniani — one of the last mentees of the late professor Denis Dubourdieu — as managing director.

In less than 10 years the property doubled from 80 to 169 hectares, and in 2011 the heart of the Avignonesi vineyards shifted higher into the hills of Montepulciano – at the expense of vineyards bordering closer to Cortona.

‘We are working not only to have balanced wine, we are looking for identity,’ said Giustiniani, commenting on the project to release four single vineyard labels in autumn this year. 

About the new single vineyard wines

The soil in Montepulciano is of marine origin from the Pliocene era (3 to 5 million years ago), predominantly rich in clay with sand or limestone and a low presence of stones, with key variation across the four different sites: Stella, Banditella, Caprile and Oceano.

The Stella cru has deep, colluvial and sodic soil, rich in clay and sand with a small proportion of limestone. Here the vines have grow less vigorously due to the presence of salt, creating wines with a bright cherry character and a lower extraction of tannins.

Banditella is the most Chianti-like cru, derived from sandy clay soils, with limestone present in the form of calcium carbonate and pebbles of fluvial origin. Banditella’s wines are very floral, mostly violet, medium in body, with light and chalky tannins.

Caprile is composed of the oldest and highest trained vines. One portion is rich in clay and limestone but poor in organic matter, producing a complex wine with deep flavours of liquorice and ripe, velvety tannins with a chalky finish.

Oceano is made up of deep sodium-rich clay, rich in limestone and low in organic matter, creating wines with complexity and velvety, dense tannins.

See Fiordelli’s tasting notes and ratings

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Michaela Morris gets under the bonnet of this highly anticipated vintage of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. See her tasting notes and scores below...

Entering Montepulciano’s Fortezza Medicea to taste the 2015 vintage of Vino Nobile, expectations were high. The Consorzio awarded the vintage five stars, and Poliziano’s Federico Carletti calls it ‘one of the best in the last 10 years.’

Vintage conditions

In stark contrast to the cool and rainy 2014 vintage, the growing season in 2015 was hot and sunny. Berries remained small due to arid conditions but water reserves were sufficient to curb detrimental stress on the vines.

‘Nothing caused us to work too hard in the vineyard,’ declares Luca De Ferrari of Boscarelli.Localised hail storms in June and July did cause minor damage, however. Between this and the reduced berry size, Miriam Caporali of Tenuta Valdipiatta estimates her production was 30% below average.

Calling it a natural selection, she says that ‘2015 was about concentration, ripeness and extraction.’

Leading up to harvest, which was between September 21 and October 5 for most producers, the heat abated and September presented considerable diurnal temperature variation.

According to Jacopo Felici, oenologist at Dei, this contributed to aromatic development while allowing the grapes to achieve phenolic ripeness. ‘The tannins are a bit more coarse, but fully ripe,’ he says, comparing 2015 to the previous year.

View all Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2015s tasted at the event

The wines

So did the wines live up to expectations? Certainly the better ones struck a balance between ripe, concentrated fruit, alcohol, oak and sturdy tannins.

Some will benefit from a few months in bottle to integrate. The best wines achieved finesse despite their size, and admirably captured Sangiovese’s complex and compelling nuances. These will drink well over the next 8-10 years.

Quality, however, was not uniform. Elements such as unripe or over-extracted tannins, high alcohol and clumsy oak treatment threw certain wines out of balance. In extreme cases, volatile acidity and brettanomyces were problematic.

Many producers are clearly making concerted efforts to regain Vino Nobile’s lustre. The region still struggles with an identity crisis, due in part to the broad range of Sangiovese – known locally as Prugnolo Gentile – allowed in the wine (70-100%).

Another issue is the long list of permitted blending grapes, although there is a trend towards 100% Sangiovese, or blending with indigenous rather than international varieties.

The Riservas

While Vino Nobile must age for two years with a minimum of 12 months in wood, the Riserva category requires an additional year of ageing before release. As such, the 2014 Riservas were on display, although only three wines were presented – compared to 30 at last year’s release of 2013.

This reflects a widespread decision to not make a Riserva in 2014. The best Vino Nobiles in 2014 trade on their lovely freshness, and this wouldn’t be enhanced with further ageing.

What to buy

After tasting the wines blind, my top 2015s were Metinella, Tenuta Gracciano della Seta, Avignonesi and Poliziano’s Asinone.

There were also solid showings from Salcheto, Priorino and Fattoria La Braccesca.

I don’t recommend trolling through the very low end of this denomination – instead, it is well worth seeking out the better wines which represent smart buys for savvy Sangiovese-lovers, available at reasonable prices.

Michaela’s top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2015s:

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From a region about 45 minutes east of Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is Brunello’s younger sibling, softer, more playful, with a mischievous spring in its step.

Montepulciano: How to get there

• Fly into Florence or Pisa airports.
• Drive from Florence to Montepulciano in about two hours; Pisa to Montepulciano takes about half an hour longer. The nearest city is Siena, which is an hour’s drive.

Montepulciano wineries to visit

Avignonesi

The way to Avignonesi is along an avenue of cypress trees leading to Le Capezzine, the heart of the 200-hectare estate comprising vineyards across Montepulciano and Cortona.

A beautiful brick facade beckons you into the Cellar Door, a stylishly modern yet respectfully rustic loft conversion where you can taste wines by the glass – try the Grandi Annate, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2012, all wild roses and plums, and silky soft in the mouth.

Take the wine lover’s tour to explore the organic vines, maturation cellars and Avignonesi’s famous Vinsantaia – where its vin santos are aged in 50-litre caratelli oak casks – before sitting down to a four-course, wine-paired meal.

Do not even consider leaving without having meditated over the legendary vin santo, a hymn to the heavens.

January – Febraury: closed, March – April: Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, May: Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12pm–6pm, June – September: Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm, Sunday 12pm–6pm, October: Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12pm–6pm, November – December: Monday-Friday 10am-5pm.

Poliziano

Half an hour away on the other side of Montepulciano is an historic winery named after the town’s most illustrious Renaissance poet. Poliziano has been producing sleek Vino Nobile since 1961, a trait matched in the design-led Angelo Ambrogini tasting lounge, which has a marble bar, parquet floors and wavy wood wine shelving. Never a winery to sit back, this spring Poliziano opened a stylish enoteca in the old centre of Montepulciano, in the palazzo where the great poet once lived.

But the Montepulciano Stazione cellar tour still remains a firm favourite.

Open year-round, it’s a chance to see the ecological maturation cellar, whose temperature is controlled by solar power, as well as the old bottle archive showcasing Poliziano’s most prestigious vintages and wines – the likes of Sangiovese selezione Asinone and IGT Le Stanze, a classy Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.

Winery tours arranged by appointment. 

La Dogana enoteca/ Palazzo Vecchio

A along the Via Lauretana Nord brings you to La Dogana enoteca, the wine bar of cantina Palazzo Vecchio (pictured top). It’s a striking building, whose central window frames the Val di Chiana plain as far as the eye can see.

The Sbernadori family serves up zero-mile valley specialities such as pici all’aglione, fat spaghetti scented with the mildest of garlic. Watch the sunset at Valiano with delicious nibbles and Palazzo Vecchio’s own Vino Nobile.

Contact for winery visits. 

Montepulcino: When to visit

The crowds flock to Montepulciano town on the last Sunday in August for the annual Bravìo delle Botti, a gruelling spectacle in which muscular men attempt to push heavy wine barrels up the cobblestone streets.

Those in the know often prefer to head for the more placid Festa di San Lorenzo in nearby Valiano in early to mid-August for flower displays and food.

But the picturesque Montepulciano area, dotted with its 75-plus wineries, is a joy to visit at any time, from spring to autumn.

Go to the next page to see Helen’s Montepulciano restaurant recommendations

Next page

Montepulciano wine tour: Where to eat

Le Logge del Vignola

Creative seasonal dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients are accompanied by local wine in cosy Le Logge del Vignola.

Macelleria Belli

Meat lovers will adore Macelleria Belli in picture-perfect Torrita di Siena – its famous bistecca alla Fiorentina T-bone steak is exquisite.

Ristorante La Grotta

A brick ceiling presides over the interior of Ristorante La Grotta, in the village of San Biagio, a five-minute drive from Montepulciano. Revel in the guinea fowl and prune pappardelle, followed by pigeon cooked two ways. The wines focus on local labels.

Caffè Poliziano

Unwind at the decadent Caffè Poliziano in central Montepulciano – the ambience is a throwback to another era.

Montepulciano: Things to do

Strada del Vino Nobile

Take a Strada del Vino Nobile food or wine tour – options include the Chianina Cattle Tour featuring a visit to a farm, or the Water and Wine experience, which includes a treatment at a spa and a visit to a local winery.

Helen Farrell is editor-in-chief of The Florentine. 

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In the world of wine, smaller is often regarded as better, with boutique estates and cult micro-cuvées taking the top spots. But, as Ian D'Agata discovers, large companies with their diverse portfolios and huge volumes of wine, can offer big surprises...

Land of Torre Rosazza, owned by Le Tenute di Genagricola

Wine speak has always been littered with catchphrases: terroir, native, local, biodynamic, artisanal, organic, family estate, old vines and so forth. So it’s not surprising many wine lovers assume that only small, family-run estates, or those working organically or solely using native grapes, can produce great wines. That’s just not so, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Italy.

A number of the country’s largest wine estates produce some of the country’s finest wines: witness Frescobaldi’s amazing Ornellaia and Masseto, or Antinori’s Tignanello and Solaia. But Antinori and Frescobaldi are admired by wine lovers around the world because they also deliver excellent wines in large volumes at low prices. Other large estates in Italy are similarly successful, though their top wines may not have reached comparable levels of fame.

Unfortunately, many wine lovers get to know Italy’s large estates by tasting inexpensive, entry-level wines: competently made but insipid Pinot Grigios or Proseccos. The key with Italy’s biggest estates is to pick those wines that aren’t the absolute cheapest in their range. Nevertheless, Italy’s larger wine estates have merits that go far beyond making great or dependable wines.

‘Chianti Classico produces 35 million bottles a year, so every producer, big or small, counts,’ says Sergio Zingarelli, owner of large Tuscan estate Rocca delle Macie, and also the new president of the Chianti Classico consorzio. ‘Bigger estates penetrate international markets better, pricing wines well thanks to economies of scale, which helps increase interest in us and our wine tourism. Smaller estates produce wines better suited to other market niches and tastes.’

‘Buying a well-made, fairly priced Pinot Grigio or Frascati is important to many,’ points out Davide Mascalzoni, general director of Gruppo Italiano Vini (GIV), owner of Italy’s largest collection of wine estates. ‘People know they can count on us to deliver consistent, dependable quality. Smaller producers often have only a limited supply of grapes to choose from, and this limits their winemaking options.’ At Cantina La-Vis and Valle di Cembra, 1.5 million bottles a year of wine are produced but this large co-operative has also launched a limited number of single-vineyard bottlings of Müller- Thurgau (Vigna delle Forche) and Pinot Nero (Vigna di Saosent) that are regularly among Italy’s best wines. The Cantina Viticoltori del Trentino (Cavit) unites 11 Trentino co-ops and has more than 4,500 members. A mind-numbing 65 million bottles a year are made, but its top sparkling wine, the Altemasi Graal Riserva Metodo Classico Trento Brut is made in small quantities and is often ranked among Italy’s best.

So bigger doesn’t necessarily mean standardised or dull. In fact, maintaining the independence and identity of each estate these large groups own is key. For example, GIV’s headquarters are in Veneto, but the group owns 14 cellars and 18 brands across Italy, totalling about 1,340ha under vine.

Thinking individually

Though all the estates are under one umbrella, each has its own viticultural expert, winemaker and cellar master. Mascalzoni adds: ‘Technical and winemaking aspects are kept separate, but estates benefit by having a common sales organisation, overseeing both common and specific marketing strategies, and integrated logistics services. As GIV owns estates from Lombardy to Sicily, our clients have an easier time stocking up on diverse wines from different Italian regions.’

Veneto-based Zonin has a similar set-up across its nine estates. It produces 40 million bottles a year and exports to more than 100 countries. Zonin has enlisted Denis Dubourdieu, a winemaker and professor of oenology at the University of Bordeaux, as its wine consultant-at-large, and follows environmentally friendly, sustainable agricultural methods. It’s family owned, with father Gianni Zonin and sons Domenico, Francesco and Michele running a remarkably successful enterprise, with a consolidated turnover in 2012 of Euro140 million – up 13% on the previous year.

‘Our wine estates are run separately, by mainly locals who live and work there,’ says Domenico. ‘We lived there too: as children, we’d alternate family vacations at the various estates, giving us a great bond to the different properties, terroirs and wines.’ Zonin’s aim is to help wine regions grow. ‘Once, hardly anybody spoke about Lombardy’s Bonarda, but we always believed in its potential. Now, not only is ours extremely successful, but other producers’ Bonardas have become popular too.’

Greater resources

He adds: ‘Oltrepò Pavese has great potential as a sparkling wine region, but what used to be made there wasn’t up to scratch. So we began organising conferences and wine tastings, then co-created the Pinot Club with about seven other local producers. The club’s goal is to produce better, more interesting wines by sharing information and working together. We even have two expert sparkling winemakers from Burgundy and Champagne to help everyone in the group get the best we can from our grapes.’

Study and research are also a big part of what large estates do. Le Tenute di Genagricola is the agricultural branch of Assicurazioni Generali, a huge Italian insurance group that, much like France’s AXA Millésimes, has invested heavily in wine estates. Alfredo Barbieri, Genagricola’s general director of sales in Italy, says he has terroir and tradition, not just sales, at heart: ‘Bigger companies have the financial means to study and experiment with little-known local varieties. We’ll bottle varietal wines like Albarossa, Picolit and Pignolo even though such small productions aren’t very remunerative. But that’s okay, as we stay actively involved in preserving traditions and native wines.’

Similarly, Zonin wants to promote the wines of Gambellara, an area near Soave and another bastion of the Garganega grape. In Gambellara both dry and sweet wines have been made for centuries, but few wine lovers are familiar with them. ‘Our basalt-rich soils allow production of totally different Garganega-based wines than Soave’s,’ says Domenico. ‘We hope to work with many large and small producers in the area as a cohesive association to help improve and market the area’s wines.’

Recently, Genagricola became the first company to use Schioppettino for traditional method sparkling wine production. The resulting wine, Blanc di Neri, has been a resounding success. ‘Our neighbours thought we were crazy turning Schioppettino into something it wasn’t meant to be, but some are now asking for advice on how to make their own version,’ says Barbieri.

Mascalzoni of GIV points out that the big guys learn from the little guys too. ‘At Castello Monaci in Puglia, we made classic Primitivo or Negroamaro wines, but were aware how successful local smaller producers were with Fiano and Verdeca. We now also make these varietal wines.’ In fact, Castello Monaci’s Acante Fiano and Pietraluce Verdeca are among the most interesting and fairly priced wines coming out of Italy’s deep south in some time.

Speculate to innovate

Sometimes, it’s simpler than all that. There probably wouldn’t exist a worldwide craze for Pinot Grigio without Santa Margherita, one of Italy’s largest wine producers. In the 1960s, 100% Pinot Grigio wines were rare in Italy, but the Marzotto family liked what they tasted and believed in the grape. The rest is history.

In Abruzzo, Tollo is a cooperative that has created countless jobs and preserved the livelihoods of entire generations of families in the Chieti area. It is likely that without Tollo, many of the vineyards would have been abandoned in the wake of the agricultural exodus during the 1960s and 1970s. Wine lovers have come to know Montepulciano and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo thanks to their efforts, but the preservation of old vines also means that previously unidentified or forgotten varieties have survived, which may culminate in new wines one day.

Innovation doesn’t stop at Italy’s doors either. Genagricola has invested in Romania and will bottle its first vintage of Romanian wines this year. And with the creation of Barboursville Vineyards, Zonin helped revive viticulture and winemaking in the American state of Virginia. Winemaker Luca Paschina was even named the Virginia Wine Industry Person of the Year in 2002.

We are regularly told that good things come in small packages when it comes to the size of wine estates. And while that is often true, it’s also clear that, through their fine wines and attention to tradition and innovation, Italy’s largest estates help celebrate the diversity of Italian wine the world over.

Facts & figures

• Italy is the home of the small landowner. The average vineyard area owned by each wine estate, 1.6 hectares, is increasing but remains below the European average of 7.9ha (2010 data)
• The largest vineyard holdings per person are in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (3ha), Sicily (2.7ha), Lombardy (2.5ha), and Tuscany (2.3ha)
• Italy’s 11 biggest wine companies, on the basis of operating profit margin, are (in descending order): Antinori, Santa Margherita, Frescobaldi, Gruppo Italiano Vini, Caviro, Giordano, Botter, Martini, Mezzacorona, Ruffino and Zonin (2011 data). They are much larger land owners than the national average: for example, Zonin owns 2,000ha under vine.

Who owns what in Italy?

Antinori

Fattoria Aldobrandesca, La Braccesca, Le Mortelle, Badia a Passignano, Guado al Tasso, Pèppoli, Pian delle Vigne, Tenuta Monteloro, Santa Cristina, Tenuta Tignanello, (Tuscany); Prunotto (Piedmont); Montenisa (Lombardy); Castello della Sala (Umbria); Tormaresca (Puglia)

Frescobaldi

Castello di Nipozzano, Castello di Pomino, Tenuta di Castelgiocondo, Ornellaia, Tenuta di Castiglioni, Tenuta dell’Ammiraglia (Tuscany); Attems (Friuli Venezia Giulia)

GIV

Ca’ Bianca (Piedmont); Nino Negri (Lombardy); Bolla, Conti d’Arco, Lamberti, Santi, Turá (Veneto); Conti Formentini (FVG); Cavicchioli (Emilia Romagna); Conti Serristori, Folonari, Machiavelli, Melini (Tuscany); Bigi (Umbria); Fontana Candida (Lazio); Castello Monaci (Puglia), Re Manfredi (Basilicata); Tenuta Rapitalà (Sicily)

La-Vis/Cembra

Lavis, Casa Girelli, Cembra, Cesarini Sforza (Trentino), Dürer-Weg (Alto Adige); Poggio Morino, Villa Cafaggio (Tuscany)

Le Tenute di Genagricola

Tenuta S.Anna (Veneto); Torre Rosazza, Borgo Magredo, Poggiobello, V8+ (FVG); Bricco dei Guazzi (Piedmont); Gregorina (Emilia Romagna); Solonio (Lazio)

Zonin

Zonin (Veneto); Castello Del Poggio (Piedmont); Tenuta Il Bosco (Lombardy); Tenuta Ca’ Bolani (FVG); Castello D’Albola, Rocca Di Montemassi, Abbazia Monte Oliveto (Tuscany); Masseria Altemura (Puglia); Feudo Principi Di Butera (Sicily)

Written by Ian D’Agata

Next page

In the world of wine, smaller is often regarded as better, with boutique estates and cult micro-cuvées taking the top spots. But, as Ian D'Agata discovers, large companies with their diverse portfolios and huge volumes of wine, can offer big surprises...

Best buys from Italy’s winemaking giants

Cavit, Altemasi Graal Riserva Metodo Classico Brut, Trentino 2004

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

By far the best wine made by Cavit, this is a worldclass bubbly. Complex thanks to age, this boasts breadcrumbs, butter and apricots.

Price £33–£37 All About Wine, Hangingditch

Drink 2014

Alc 13.5%

Valdo, Prosecco Extra Dry, Veneto NV

16/20pts (86/100pts)

Apricot, green apple and buttercups. Fresh, uncomplicated but well made and satisfying.

Price NA/UK valdo.com

Drink 2014

Alc 12.5%

Torre Rosazza, Friulano, Colli Orientali del Friuli 2008

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

One of Friuli’s best estates. Great Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla and Friulano. This latter wine ages well, with marzipan, pear, herbs and peach.

Price £20 Premier Wines

Drink 2014

Alc 13%

La-Vis, Vigneti di Montagna Pinot Grigio, Trentino 2011

16.5/20pts (88/100pts)

Green apple, pear and white flowers, with sneaky concentration. Much better than other Pinot Grigios at this price point.

Price £10 Waitrose

Drink 2014

Alc 12.5%

Cantina Tollo, Madregale Bianco, Terre di Chieti, Abruzzo 2012

15.5/20pts (85/100pts)

Easygoing wine made from Chardonnay in stainless steel. Bright and crisp, an uncomplicated glass.

Price £6.99–£10 Exel Wines, Les Caves de Pyrène, Roberson Wine

Drink 2014

Alc 12%

Nino Negri, 5 Stelle Sfursat, Valtellina, Lombardy 2009

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Amarone-like, but more refined, thanks to the Nebbiolo grape. Macerated red cherries, cocoa and sweet spices: a memorable experience.

Price £41–£47 AG Wines, Exel Wines, Winedirect

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 15.5%

Rocca delle Macie, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany 2010

16.75/20pts (89/100pts)

Wines improving by leaps and bounds; the Riserva Famiglia Zingarelli is another winner. Savoury and fresh, with ageing potential, from a fantastic Tuscan vintage.

Price £16 James Nicholson

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 13.5%

Rocca di Montemassi, Le Focaie Sangiovese, Maremma, Tuscany 2010

16.75/20pts (89/100pts)

Fresh and easygoing, juicy yet savoury, perfect for Sunday brunch.

Price £9–£18 Underwood Wine Warehouse, James Fearson, Woodford Wine Room, Wimbledon Wine Cellar

Drink 2014–2015

Alc 13.5%

Pasqua, Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto 2008

16.5/20pts (88/100pts)

Full-bodied, rich and long, with coffee, cocoa and red cherry aromas and flavours. Good with stews, or break your Port habit and try with Stilton.

Price £30 Mumbles Fine Wines

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 15%

Santa Margherita, Impronta del Fondatore Malbech, Veneto 2011

16.5/20pts (88/100pts)

A rare Italian Malbec, so this wins on novelty factor alone. Perhaps more Cahors-like than Argentina, with coffee, cocoa and tarry notes.

Price £12 Exel Wines

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 14.5%

Castello Monaci, Liante Salice Salentino, Puglia 2010

16.25/20pts (87/100pts)

Bright red fruits with black cherry, tar and flinty nuances on the juciy finish. Perfect with anything barbecued.

Price £10–£12 Customary Wines, Just Fine Wines

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 13.5%

Previous page

The workhorse reputation of the Montepulciano grape and the confusion of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo with its boring Tuscan cousin have done this region no favours, says Stephen Brook. But seek out the best producers of these and other indigenous varieties and you’ll be pleasantly surprised...

Factbox:

Area under vine 32,725ha

Principal varieties Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano Toscano

Annual production 3,225,499 hectolitres

DOC production 80% is red wine

DOCG production The sole wine is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane with about 120ha

The rugged Adriatic region of Abruzzo has become synonymous with Montepulciano, a splendid and long-underrated grape variety that delivers rich and often complex red wines.

If Abruzzo still struggles to acquire a reputation as one of Italy’s serious wine regions, that is not because of any intrinsic defects in its indigenous varieties, nor because of any lack of high-quality producers: it’s because Montepulciano has a mysterious habit of leaving Abruzzo in large tankers and ending up in bottles of chianti or other italian reds on the shelves of the less illustrious northern european supermarkets. Its reputation as a workhorse variety does it no favours.

On my last visit to the region, almost six years ago, Montepulciano was ubiquitous, and the only other variety of any importance was Trebbiano. This variety carries a hereditary flaw, in that most consumers associate Trebbiano with the vapid Tuscan white wine. But Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is not the same thing as its Tuscan cousin, and its wines can be of real interest, capable of ageing surprisingly well. The high priest of the variety was Edoardo Valentini, and since his death the property has been run along traditional lines by his son Francesco. Edoardo always made Trebbiano with real texture, personality and ageing potential, and today more producers are modelling their wines on his methods. Even so, most Trebbiano d’Abruzzo remains a simple wine, untouched by oak, for early drinking.

Other varieties on the rise include Pecorino, a high-acid grape also found to the north in the Marche that thrives at higher elevations when shaded from direct sunlight. Cristiana Tiberio, who has gained a reputation for Pecorino, likes the way it seems to gain glycerol and texture during fermentation, and its aromas suggest to her sage, thyme and peach. With its freshness and attack, Pecorino is becoming increasingly popular.

Other whites are making an appearance too. Passerina and Montonico are indigenous grapes previously used mainly to make sparkling wine, but today they are vinified as dry table wines. Passerina gives abundant crops, so needs to be reduced in yield to deliver floral wines of personality and freshness. One of the most notable Montonico dry wines is from Villa Medoro.

Old faithful

Although the rediscovery of ancient varieties is always welcome, the focus in Abruzzo remains firmly on Montepulciano. It’s a versatile grape, in the sense that it can give pleasure in numerous guises. It can be vinified and aged in stainless steel to give a simple, attractive wine with freshness and transparency of fruit. If cropped low, it can be aged in casks or barriques – even new barriques – to create wines of altogether greater depth, concentration and complexity.

The oaked Montepulcianos are not really wines for everyday drinking, being too dense and powerful, but are superb winter warmers. Some can develop gamey aromas with age; others remain on a plateau, displaying primary fruit for years. Montepulciano does evolve with age, but it’s not a variety that demands bottle age to show complexity.

Another manifestation of Montepulciano is Cerasuolo, a rosé wine that is usually made by giving the juice a maceration of eight to 18 hours on the skins before fermentation. The result is a light red rather than a rosé, a wine with body and succulence. It’s very popular in the region, but exports have been growing. Even in a good pizzeria in the regional capital of Pescara, you don’t necessarily want to drink a rich red. Cerasuolo, with its vinosity and weight – ideally drunk lightly chilled – is just the ticket. Most producers agree that you mustn’t think of Cerasuolo as a way to use up your least interesting grapes; it should be made from grapes of high quality, and treated seriously.

Being a very large and dispersed region, with vineyards separated by 100km from north to south, Abruzzo is divided into many sub-regions, and there are also DOCs such as Controguerra that permit the use of non-Italian varieties such as Chardonnay or Merlot. Only someone steeped in the detail of Abruzzo terroir would be able to identify the many sub-zones for Montepulciano in the glass. Only one is of real importance: Colline Teramane, Abruzzo’s only DOCG. Located around the town of Teramo on clay and limestone soils in the region’s north, the wines from here have noticeable concentration and depth – but so can regular Montepulciano made elsewhere from low-yielding vines.

Vine training is an issue here. The traditional trellising, known as tendone, is similar to the pergola system found in many other parts of Italy. Designed to shade the bunches and make harvest less arduous, it can produce very good wines, as long as yields are kept low. Because new plantings have moved to French-style rows, the remaining tendone vineyards are old, which can also contribute to quality. Both systems of training have their advocates and merits.

Co-op country

Abruzzo is dominated by cooperatives. It’s thought that about 80% of all wine from Abruzzo is made by coops, most of which are located in hotter areas like Chieti. The best, such as Tollo and Citra, make very good wine at the top of the range – Tollo even dabbles in organic wines. But most of their products fall into the cheap and cheerful category.

So in Abruzzo, as elsewhere, it’s important to identify the best producers. The big beasts are Masciarelli, still on fine form despite the untimely death of its dynamic founder Gianni Masciarelli, and the patchier if more zany Zaccagnini. As well as the estates below, look out for the rich, polished reds from Nicodemi; the whites from Il Feuduccio; a good range of sensibly priced wines from Talamonti; the top wines (especially Montepulciano ‘Bellovedere’) of La Valentina, an estate advised by the renowned Luca D’Attoma; and the remarkable but very expensive Trebbiano from Valentini.

Written by Stephen Brook

Next page

The workhorse reputation of the Montepulciano grape and the confusion of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo with its boring Tuscan cousin have done this region no favours, says Stephen Brook. But seek out the best producers of these and other indigenous varieties and you’ll be pleasantly surprised...

Abruzzo: Six producers to watch

Illuminati

This long-established estate in the northern district of Controguerra is today run by Stefano Illuminati. It produces more than one million bottles, of which the best known is the Riparosso Montepulciano, given moderate ageing in large casks and designed to be drunk fairly young. From old vines, and only produced in top years, is Zanna, a Colline Teramane DOCG aged for two years in casks. It’s creamy, concentrated and spicy, and inevitably tannic too. More unusual is Daniele, a gently oxidative blend of Trebbiano, Passerina and Chardonnay, also aged in casks and only made in top years; it’s marked by apricot and quince flavours. Overall, well made, ambitious wines of high consistency.

Tiberio

A visit to the Mosel so impressed young Cristiana Tiberio that she resolved to create an estate focusing on mountain vineyards with the intention of making wines – especially whites – of pronounced minerality. She founded the estate in 2004 and is now at the top of her game, producing outstanding Trebbiano and Pecorino, as well as fragrant yet lightly tannic Cerasuolo and silky Montepulciano. Her top wine is usually the citric Trebbiano Fonte Canale, made from old vines and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Look out too for her herbal, saline Pecorino, with its long, bracing finish.

Torre dei Beati

Fausto Albanesi tends and vinifies the vines near Loreto Apruntino that were inherited by his wife Adriana, although he has also purchased additional vines that bring the estate to its present 18ha. The barrel-fermented Pecorino and Trebbiano, both called Bianchi Grilli, are very good, but the star turns are his top Montepulcianos. These are Cocciapazza and Mazzamurello, parcel selections that are aged in barriques, with Mazzamurello spending 20 months in new oak. These are rich, spicy wines, with good depth of flavour and fine ageing potential. But even his basic Montepulciano is both charming and delicious. If only the names were less of a mouthful, the wines would surely enjoy greater international renown.

Cataldi Madonna

Tucked away in the inland village of Ofena in the L’Aquila region is the 27ha estate of Luigi Cataldi Madonna, who also teaches philosophy at the local university. The vineyards lie at high elevations and give wines that are quite high in acidity. A pioneer of Pecorino, in his hands it is a splendid if very assertive wine. The cranberry-scented Cerasuolo is always outstanding, and so are his red wines. Malandrino is fresh, sleek and elegant, while Toni is a parcel selection, aged mostly in new barriques. All these wines are characterised by a noticeable polish and balance.

Agriverde

Founded in 1989 in Ortona, this is one of the few organic properties in Abruzzo. The winery too is constructed entirely of natural materials. With 65ha under vine, it produces a wide range. The Solèrea Trebbiano, aged in puncheons, is concentrated and spicy, but the Montepulciano reds are the stars. Winemaker Riccardo Brighigna is very proud of Plateo, though I find it rather too oaky and extracted, with hints of overripeness. I prefer the more vibrant Riseis, which is aged in older barriques. Even the basic, unoaked Piane di Maggio is spicy and lively, with lean cherry fruit.

Villa Medoro

Former lawyer Federica Morricone was encouraged by Gianni Masciarelli to produce her own wines, basing her estate on vines inherited from her grandfather. Her first vintage was 2000 and since then she has a built a large, modern winery and has expanded the vineyards to over 100ha. She makes mineral, refreshing white wines from Montonico, Passerina and Trebbiano, but her finest white is Chimera, a parcel selection of Trebbiano. The Montepulcianos are modern in style, plummy and oaky in aroma and flavour. Her top reds are Rosso del Duca and the slightly less oaky Adrano, a barrique-aged Colline Teramane.

Next page Previous page

The workhorse reputation of the Montepulciano grape and the confusion of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo with its boring Tuscan cousin have done this region no favours, says Stephen Brook. But seek out the best producers of these and other indigenous varieties and you’ll be pleasantly surprised...

Brook’s top Abruzzo wines

Masciarelli, Villa Gemma, Montepulciano 2006

18.5/20pts (95/100pts)

Muted oaky nose, black cherries and chocolate. Very concentrated with spicy cherry fruit, good acidity, and balsamic and chocolatey nuances. Powerful balanced and very long.

Price: £49.99 AG Wines

Drink 2014–2022

Alc 14.5%

Torre dei Beati, Mazzamurello, Montepulciano 2007

18.5/20pts (95/100pts)

Slightly gamey black fruit nose. Compact, spicy and very concentrated, with black cherry, suave texture and good length.

Price: £28.95 Handford

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 14%

Villa Medoro, Rosso del Duca, Montepulciano 2010

18.5/20pts (95/100pts)

Very ripe plum and menthol nose. Rich fruit but cut by fine acidity that gives tension and finesse. Well-integrated oak and a long, invigorating finish.

Price: £14 Genesis

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 14%

Illuminati, Zanna, Montepulciano Colline Teramane Riserva 2008

18/20pts (93/100pts)

Rich sour cherry and damson nose. Creamy, full bodied, with depth of flavour and lots of spice. Slightly dry finish but not too tannic.

Price: £15.79 (2007) London Wine Deliveries

Drink 2014–2022

Alc 14.5%

Agriverde, Solàrea, Montepulciano 2009

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Rich, plummy nose. Dense and quite tannic on the palate, but this wine has lovely, lively acidity and is still taut and youthful. Peppery and long.

Price: £18.50 Vinissimo

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 14%

Cataldi Madonna, Malandrino, Montepulciano 2010

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Ripe cherry and menthol nose. Quite full bodied yet no heavyweight, this is fresh, intense and stylish, with good acidity and length.

Price: £19.99 AG Wines

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 13%

Nicodemi, Notari, Montepulciano 2010

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Ripe but elegant plummy nose, with a touch of vanilla. Concentrated and full-bodied, with a svelte texture and moderate tannins. Long, with fine acidity on the finish.

Price: £14.99 (2008) Cadman

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 14%

Tiberio, Fonte Canale, Trebbiano 2012

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Ripe apricot nose. Rich, textured and concentrated but has fresh acidity, and a bitter lemon twist on the long, citric finish.

Price: N/A UK tiberiowine.com

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 12.5%

Valentini, Trebbiano 2004

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Spicy, leesy, apricot nose. Full bodied and weightier than the nose suggests, with good extract and moderate acidity. Quite long.

Price: £67.20 Fine & Rare

Drink 2014–2016

Alc 12%

Cantina Tollo, Terre di Chieti, Pecorino 2012

16.5/20pts (88/100pts)

Vintners apricot and melon nose. Fine attack, fresh, citrus and passion fruit flavours; long, with a tangy finish.

Price: £20 Yorkshire Vintners

Drink 2014–2015

Alc 13%

Talamonti, Tre Saggi, Montepulciano 2010

16.5/20pts (88/100pts)

Spicy cherry and blueberry nose. Suave and fleshy, but an easygoing style with light tannins and fresh acidity. Modern style, balanced and long.

Price: £12.70–£12.99 Penistone, Wined Up Here

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 13.5%

Previous page

Hear from our Regional Italy Regional Chair Ian D’Agata on which wines to buy, which wines to leave on the shelf and what to keep an eye on from this year's Decanter World Wine Awards....

Regional Italy includes the wine-producing regions of Valle d’Aosta, Liguria, Lombardy, Trentino- Alto Adige/Südtirol, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna, Le Marche, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise. Obviously, it’s a large swathe offering a mixed bag of wine styles and quality levels. Each of these regions is linked to many typical, unique wines that can be found only there: Valle d’Aosta offers, among many others, Fumin, Petit Rouge and Petite Arvine; Trentino- Alto Adige/Südtirol offers Germanic varieties such as Müller- Thurgau, Gewürztraminer and Kerner; Trentino and Lombardy are where you’ll find Italy’s best sparklers; Umbria sports Orvieto (made with Grechetto and other local varieties) and Sagrantino; Lazio has Frascati and many interesting sweet wines; Liguria has Vermentino and Pigato; Le Marche offers Verdicchio; Abruzzo is famous for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. Unfortunately, quality is not uniform, so get to know the better producers.

What should we buy from here?

Pinot Grigio from Valle d’Aosta and Gewürztraminer from Alto Adige are Italy’s best wines using these respective varieties. Vermentino and Pigato from Liguria are idiosyncratic and refreshing. Abruzzo’s Pecorino is Italy’s hottest white, but go for the best names such as Cataldi Madonna, Tiberio or Camillo Montori, because there’s a lot of plonk. Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is an undervalued wine, mainly because everyone confuses it with the many other Trebbianos made with lesser-quality varieties such as Trebbiano Toscano or Romagnolo. The 2007 we awarded a Trophy is a truly great wine that shows the quality and ageability of this great variety. Look out, too, for Lazio’s sweet wines, though sadly few were submitted this year.

What should we leave on the shelf?

Unfortunately, regions such as Umbria and Abruzzo are still plagued by too many cheap, poorly made renditions of wines such as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or Orvieto, many of which taste unripe or have too much residual sugar. Wine lovers need to realise that the costs of labour and running a winery in Italy mean that paying £5 or less will never give you a good, let alone a great wine. Such ‘bargains’ are unfortunately all too common in supermarkets and countries with state monopolies. Get to know the truly good-quality stuff being made by small familyrun domaines in regional Italy – such as these listed here – and be willing to pay £2 more for the privilege. It’s worth it.

What should we keep an eye on?

For whites, try Friuli’s Ribolla Gialla (fresh, non-oxidised ones) and Pinot Bianco, Müller-Thurgau from Alto Adige, Marche’s Verdicchio di Matelica, Petite Arvine from Valle d’Aosta, and Liguria’s lemony fresh Albarola’s. For reds, Trentino-Alto Adige’s Schiavas, Friuli’s Schioppettino, Umbria’s Montefalco Rosso and the better Lambruscos from Emilia-Romagna.

Written by Decanter

This year's winner of the Decanter World Wine Awards International Trophy for the Best in Show Red Italian Varietal Under £15 went to Barone di Valforte, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2011, Italy.

Barone di Valforte, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy 2011 (13.5%)

Floral, spice and dark berry nose, fruit-forward with plums over a structured palate of prunes and cherries with coffee beans, liquorice, chocolate and spice. Long fruity finish.

Not available in the UK

Tasted against • Michelino Veglio & Figli, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy 2011

Although this Trophy can be contested by Italian varieties grown anywhere in the world, this battle came down to a show-down between two eminent Italian regions. This year, Piedmont had to play second fiddle to its more southerly sister, and a property with an historic backstory.

The Sorricchio family has owned the baronial fiefdom of Valforte since the 14th century, a property of some 500ha in the Abruzzo region of central eastern Italy. In 2005, brothers Guido and Francesco Sorricchio established the Barone di Valforte brand for their wine production and currently cultivate 46ha of vineyards on their lands in the Teramo hills around the towns of Città Sant’Angelo and Silvi, both situated close to the Adriatic Sea near Pescara.

Production includes DOCG, DOC and IGT wines made from the red Montepulciano grape, and whites from Trebbiano, Pecorino and Passerina.

In contrast to many other Italian reds which can often be quite tannic, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is noted for its abundant fruitiness and supple finish. This Trophy winner is made without any oak ageing with its rich, plummy fruit and ripe, spicy character shining bright. Moreover, it’s great value, if not readily available.

Jane Hunt MW

Written by Decanter

Italian authorities have approved the use of synthetic corks and screwcaps on higher quality DOC and DOCG wines for the first time.

Synthetic corks: ‘denting dominance’ of natural closures in Italy

The move opens a new front in the highly-charged wine industry debate on closures.

Synthetic cork producer Nomacorc is already plotting ways to dent the dominance of natural corks in DOC and DOCG wines.

‘We’ve effectively been blocked from 30% of the market, so it’s huge,’ Nomacorc’s CEO, Lars von Kantzow, told Decanter.com.

‘It’s not like winemakers are waiting in line for the day they can buy Nomacorc. Although, in some cases, this is the case. Some will still use natural cork, but at least now we can go to them. Before, it wasn’t worth our while.’

Caldirola, producer of Barbera D’Asti, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Chianti among others, confirmed it is interested in taking advantage of the new rule.

Silvia Fiorentini, marketing manager for the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, said individual denominations still have the final say on closures.

‘Certainly it will not be possible to use alternative corks or screwcaps without a formal change of our production code,’ she said. ‘The Consorzio is open to taking it into consideration,’ she added.

Nomacorc is the word’s second biggest wine closure producer, selling around 2.4bn synthetic corks annually, behind natural cork maker Amorim, which sells just over 3bn closures per year.

Written by Chris Mercer

La Bottega del Nobile offers you the chance to taste a variety of award-winning wines this October.

Address: 95, Via di Gracciano nel Corso, 53045 Montepulciano

www.vinonobile.eu

The selected award winning wines available are:

• Marchesi Antinori, Villa Antinori Tuscany, Tuscany 2008 ITaly – Bronze
• Poggio Stella, Pleos, Toscana, Tuscany 2008 Italy – Commended
• Castello Banfi, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Silver
• Castello Banfi, Poggio Alle Mura, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Silver
• Villa S.Anna, Rosso di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2010 Italy – Bronze
• Poliziano, Rosso di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2010 Italy – Silver
• Villa S.Anna, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Bronze
• Carpineto, Riserva, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Silver
• Talosa, Riserva, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Gold
• Palazzo Vecchio, Maestro, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2008 Italy – Bronze
• Talosa, Filai Lunghi, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Bronze
• Briareo, Redi, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Bronze
• Montemercurio, Damo, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Bronze
• Palazzo Vecchio, Riserva, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2006 Italy – Commended
• Marchesi Antinori, Pèppoli, Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2009 Italy – Bronze
• Carpineto, Farnito Cabernet Sauvignon, Tuscany, Tuscany, 2006 Italy – Bronze
• Avignonesi, Desiderio Merlot, Cortona, Tuscany 2008 Italy – Commended
• Isole E Olena, Cepparello, Tuscany, Tuscany 2008 Italy – Commended
• Nottola, Anterivo, Tuscany, Tuscany 2008 Italy – Bronze
• Carpineto, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Silver
• Guado al Tasso, Il Bruciato, Bolgheri, Tuscany 2010 Italy – Bronze
• Nottola, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2009 Italy – Commended
• Poggio Stella, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2009 Italy – Commended
• Poliziano, Asinone, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2009 Italy – Silver
• Mastrojanni, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Bronze
• Mastrojanni, Vigna Loreto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Gold
• Avignonesi, Cantaloro, Tuscany 2010 Italy – Bronze
• Banfi, Belnero, Tuscany 2009 Italy – Bronze
• Orma, Tuscany 2008 Italy – Silver
• Redi, Oroaio, Tuscany, Tuscany 2007 Italy – Commended
• Castello di Bolgheri, Varvàra, Bolgheri, Tuscany 2009 Italy – Silver
• Castello di Bolgheri, Bolgheri, Tuscany 2008 Italy – Bronze

Written by

Florence, Italy

Address: Via San Giuseppe, 18/r, 50122 – Florence, Tuscany, Italy

www.enotecaintelligente.com

Located a few steps from Santa Croce Square in the heart of the historic centre of Florence, La Botte offers 64 selected wines, available by the glass, the half glass or only a ‘taste’; all preserved perfectly and served at the correct temperature (with the help of ‘Enomatic’ technology). There is a wide choice of Italian wines and champagne to take away – including rare labels and vintages.

Wine Bar ‘La Botte’ and Trattoria Baldovino across the street will have a selection of DWWA award winning wines available for the month October. Clients have an opportunity to drink a sample of the DWWA selected wines via the Enomatic machines or drink the wines by the bottle in the wine bar or trattoria. Bottles can be bought at a discounted price to take away…..

The selected award winning wines available are:

• Felsina, Berardenga, Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2009 Italy (Silver)
• Col d’Orcia, Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2005 Italy (Bronze)
• Il Molino di Grace, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany 2006 Italy (Bronze)
• Castello di Cacchiano, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany 2006 Italy (Bronze)
• Castello di Bossi, Corbaia, Toscana, Tuscany 2006 Italy (Silver)
• Castello Romitorio, XXV, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2006 Italy (Silver)
• Col d’Orcia, Nearco, Sant’Antimo, Tuscany 2006 Italy (Bronze)
• Marchesi Mazzei, Ser Lapo, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Bronze)
• Capezzana, Villa di Capezzana, Carmignano, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Silver)
• Capezzana, Ghiaie dell Furba, Toscana, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Bronze)
• Felsina, Fontalloro, Toscana, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Bronze)
• Castello Romitorio, Romito del Romitorio, Sant’Antimo, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Commended)
• Elisabetta Geppetti, Poggio Valente, Morellino di Scansano, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Commended)
• Elisabetta Geppetti, Saffredi, Maremma Toscana, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Bronze)
• Valdipiatta, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Silver)
• Cennatoio, Etrusco, Tuscany, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Bronze)
• Ornellaia, Le Volte, Toscana, Tuscany 2009 Italy (Commended)
• Tenimenti d’Alessandro, Il Bosco, Cortona, Tuscany 2007 Italy (Bronze)
• Villa Cafaggio, Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2008 Italy (Commended)
• Mazzei, Castello di Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2008 Italy (Silver)
• Petrolo, Torrione, Toscana, Tuscany 2008 Italy (Bronze)
• Fontodi, Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2008 Italy (Bronze)
• Castello di Bossi, La Grancia, Toscana, Tuscany 2008 Italy (Bronze)
• Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove, Bolgheri, Tuscany 2008 Italy (Bronze)
• Felsina, Rancia, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany 2008 Italy (Bronze)

This promotion occurred in October 2011.

Written by

Vintage guide: Tuscany 2003

keep

Very well-balanced, good quality reds from Chianti and Montepulciano

4/5

Weather Conditions

The hottest summer for the last 150 years brought heat wave conditions and drought to Tuscany and saw the earliest vintage since 1945 and one of the smallest ever. The spring began with normal temperatures and rainfall, but frost on 7-8 April caused damage which contributed to the general short fall in production. From May to the end of August the region experienced record temperatures and almost complete drought, which started to create serious problems of stress in the vineyard. However rain in early September saved the situation and allowed for more or less even ripening over the whole of the region.

Best Appellations

Quantities are down an average 15% over the region, with some producers in Chianti reporting a drop of 20%. Grapes everywhere had very high sugar content, low acidity and very thick, tannin-rich skins. An unusually low ratio of juice to pulp has resulted in dense and highly concentrated wines, with great ageing potential but probably less immediate appeal. Chianti Classico will be particularly full-bodied and meaty with alcohol levels well above the norm. Put these away, together with the long-ageing Chiantis from Rufina, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Maremma wines might be a bit baked and jammy for some tastes. Bolgheri should offer more elegance alongside the structure.

Best Producers

In Chianti look for estates with a track record in hot vintages, possibly away from the stoniest hillsides in the centre of the DOCG zone. Examples include Castello di Bossi, Fattoria Le Corti-Corsini and Fattoria di Felsina. All the big names at Montalcino are expecting to bring out an important vintage. For the long haul, look for the Riservas (due out in 2009) from Lisini, Salvioni, Case Basse and Col d’Orcia. For blockbusters from the coast pick, from the fast developing Val di Cornia DOC zone, Tua Rita and Gualdo del Re or the new wave wines of Le Macchiole at Castagneto Carducci.

Jim Budd scales the twin peaks of excellence of Montalcino and Montepulciano and picks out their top wines.

To the south of Chianti lie the hilltop towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano and the corresponding DOCGs of Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Here, particularly in Montalcino, you can find some of the most aristocratic estates in Italy, producing some of the most high-class – and most expensive – wines in the country. The best examples of Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are some of the finest reds in Tuscany, but both zones also have second red DOCs, Rosso di Montepulciano and Rosso di Montalcino, which are lighter, have a shorter ageing period and can be released within a year of the harvest taking place.

The chief grape here is Prugnolo Gentile, the local name for Sangiovese. The reds from Montalcino are pure Sangiovese, whereas in Montepulciano a minimum 70% Sangiovese is stipulated for both the Vino Nobile and the Rosso. The other permitted grapes are Canaiolo (up to 20%), Colorino and Mammolo. The addition of other varieties tends to make the wines of Montepulciano a little softer and more approachable when young than those of Montalcino. The question of how long to age the top wines remains divisive, especially in Montalcino, and this is allied to whether they should be aged in the traditional botti – large wooden casks generally made of Slavonian oak – or in barrique. In 1998 the Consorzio reduced the length of obligatory wood ageing for Brunello from three years to two, with a further four months in bottle (six for the riserva). This is one of the factors that splits Montalcino producers and means that some estates, such as Biondi-Santi and Barbi, are not members of the Consorzio.

Some producers believe that if the wine isn’t butch enough to survive the requisite time in large botti then it isn’t a real Brunello di Montalcino or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. There is no doubt that a wine without considerable structure will not survive long ageing in large oak casks as the fruit is stripped out, leaving only a dry husk behind – unfortunately the wines of the long- established Fanetti-Tenuta Sant’Agnese estate bear witness to the destructive properties of over-long wood ageing. On a recent visit to Montepulciano I tasted its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 1997 and the 1995 and 1997 vintages of its top wine, San Giuseppi. All three had a hard, drying finish and the 1995 was almost orange. This is sad as the historic Montepulciano winery itself has charm and character. In contrast, the Il Poggione estate in Montalcino put on a fascinating vertical tasting, showing Brunellos from a barrel sample of the 1997 back to 1979. The wines had remarkable complexity and layers of taste, including notes of strawberry, prune, currants and tobacco. In the 1970s these wines were aged for four years in large botti of between 100 and 130hl (hectolitres). Now they spend three years in botti of 30hl to 50hl. If these wines had been aged in a different manner – 100% barriques for example – they would clearly be different and probably not as distinctive. ‘We hope never to use barriques for Brunello,’ says Fabrizio Bindocci of Il Poggione dismissively.

https://www.decanter.com/premium/best-brunello-di-montalcino-wines-428479/

Over the past 15 years there has been a considerable increase in both Brunello plantings and total production. In 1985 there were 810ha (hectares) of vines, while by 1999 this had gone up to 1,344ha. In 1986 1.34 million bottles of Brunello were released, and by 1999 this had risen to 4.19 million. Over the same period, the production of Rosso di Montalcino leaped from 1.38 to 2.69 million bottles. Brunello is popular outside Italy, especially in the US, Switzerland and Germany, with 64% exported. The US takes nearly a quarter of all Brunello made. Biondi-Santi, on the edge of Montalcino town, is undoubtedly the most famous estate in this area. Credited as the inventor of Brunello in the 1888 vintage, it is now run by Franco Biondi-Santi and has 15ha of vines. ‘We use no weedkillers and no chemical treatments,’ he says. ‘We use only natural yeasts, a vertical press and the wines are always aged in Slavonian oak. Some of the botti are 100 years old and were bought by my grandfather. I don’t believe in barriques as Brunello is already rich enough in tannins.’

Naturally the wines are not cheap: the Rosso di Montalcino is L57,000 (£19), while the 1997 Brunello is L200,000 (£66) and the riserva considerably higher. The 1996 and 1997 Brunello Annatas from Biondi-Santi have a big structure with silky fruit, but both have a decidedly austere finish that will require long ageing to soften. It was probably the weight of history that persuaded Franco’s son, Jacopo, to set up on his own and he now makes his own wines, including those from Castello di Montepo, a recently acquired estate in Morellino di Scansano – and yes, Jacopo does use barriques. Villa Banfi, owned by the American Mariani family, has been carrying out experiments to find the best Sangiovese clones. In Tuscany, there has recently been lots of research into Sangiovese because it is an old grape with some 650 different clones of variable quality. Sangiovese is sensitive to where it is planted, so what is best in one vineyard may not thrive in another. Banfi has concluded that a mix of three clones gives the best results, which is a move away from the practices of the 1960s to late 1980s. Then, single clone vineyards were usually planted, with vines selected for productivity and resistance to disease rather than ability to produce high quality grapes. Given Banfi’s US ownership, it’s not surprising that the estate has good visitor facilities. Much harder to find is Mastrojanni, located in countryside close to Castelneuvo dell’Abate, but it is well worth the effort as the wines are extremely good. The estate now has 19.5ha and is run by Antonio Mastrojanni, but it was founded by his father, Gabriella, in 1975, when the area had no electricity. Antonio is reducing the time the wines spend in barrel and instead they spend longer in bottle. He has special 16hl botti made by Austrian cooper Fassbinderei. Donatella Cinelli Colombini at Fattoria del Colle is creating lighter, softer Brunellos that are specifically designed to appeal to women. There are only women working in the winery and the Brunello Prime Donna is blended and selected by Colombini and two colleagues. Other notable Montalcino estates include Tenuta di Argiano, especially its Solengo, a Super-Tuscan blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah; and Nardi, which, in reviving a rundown family estate, has replaced botti with barriques.

More on Montepulciano

In Montepulciano, there are several impressive estates, including Avignonesi, Redi and Tre Rose. Visiting wine estates can become repetitive – rows of stainless steel tanks and vines laid out in a similar manner – but this is certainly not the case at Avignonesi. For a start, there is the circular vineyard, planted in 1987, that was used to determine the best planting density. In the inner circle the density is 8,000 vines per hectare, while the final circle gives a density of just 2,500 per hectare. The best solution was found to be 7,500 plants per hectare. This is certainly well above the norm for Italy but indicates that the country-wide move towards an average planting density of between 4,000 to 5,000 plants per hectare should lead to higher quality, assuming that the yield per vine is kept in check. Villa Banfi in Montalcino carried out similar experiments and, interestingly, decided on 4,200 vines per hectare as giving ‘optimum concentration’.

https://www.decanter.com/wine-travel/italy/montepulciano-wine-tour-wineries-and-restaurants-372919/

Avignonesi also has vineyards that are laid out as in Roman times. ‘This started some five years ago,’ says Elena Falvo, daughter of Ettore who founded the estate in 1974. ‘The vines are laid out in the form of a series of double equilateral triangles or hexagons. This system means that every plant gets the sun and that the land can be worked in three directions. We regulate production so that every vine produces between 900g and 1kg of grapes.’ The care taken shows in the range of wines, which includes two remarkable Vin Santos. Tenuta Trerose has 70ha of vines and is part of the Angelini group. Here new clones of Sangiovese are preferred to old varieties such as Canaiolo and Colorino, so these are not being replanted. In the winery, barriques are increasingly preferred to botti. The softly spicy, easy-drinking Rosso is very good value, while the 1998 La Villa, largely Sangiovese with a little Cabernet Sauvignon, is complex and will age well. The most impressive cellars in either zone belong to the cooperative, Redi. The high-ceilinged brick cellars under the Ricci Palace were built in the 1530s. Redi has 500 members with 1,000ha and accounts for 40% of the production of Montepulciano. The wines are well made and both the Rosso and straight Vino Nobile offer good value.

The largest private Montepulciano estate is the 160ha Fattoria del Cerro, owned by Saiagricola, a large farming combine. Though the 1997 and 1995 Riservas are disappointing, the 1999 Rosso di Montepulciano and the 1998 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano both offer attractive drinking. Even if you don’t make it to these pretty hilltop towns, it’s worth seeking out the wines – both the longer-ageing DOCGs and their lighter DOC counterparts.

Jim Budd is a freelance wine writer.

Every February, the producers of Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino gather together to present their soon-to-be-commercially released Tuscan wines to an international audience of wine writers. The event always provides attendees an opportunity – at the cost of painfully purple tongues and tanned palates – for an intensive appraisal of the state of Tuscany’s three most important wine areas.

Boscarelli, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva, Tuscany, 2016

Typically, this year’s event spotlighted multiple vintages in the three zones. Chianti Classico offered examples of 1999 and 1998 vintages and riserva bottlings of 1998 and 1997. Some 75 producers poured well over 100 different wines. In Montepulciano, the smallest zone of the three, 23 producers showed examples of the 1999 Rosso di Montepulciano, 1998 Vino Nobile and 1997 Vino Nobile riserva. And in Montalcino, where the growth in the number of producers has been explosive in the past decade, 103 estates poured samples of 1999 Rosso di Montalcino, 1996 Brunello and 1995 Brunello riserva. In a spirit of pure supererogation, the wine organisations of all three zones also showed selected barrel samples of the difficult 2000 vintage.

Chianti Classico great Lapo Mazzei dies

A general view

A few broad generalisations emerged from the plethora of tastings, despite significant differences from zone to zone. 1997 and 1999 were wonderful harvests for all three, with the simple bottlings of those years (ie, Chianti Classico, Rosso di Montepulciano and Rosso di Montalcino) showing almost universally delightful and accessible fruit and charm, as well as sufficient structure to remain pleasant drinking for several years to come. 1998 and 2000 were everywhere hot and dry and yielded uneven results. The key, especially in 2000, seems to have been drastic pruning – a late green harvest discarding over-ripe and raisined grapes. Producers who did this ruthlessly made some very fine wines, those who didn’t, didn’t.

Chianti classico: the background

‘In the past few years,’ says Stefano Porcinai, oenologist of the Chianti Classico consortium, ‘all the hard work of the Chianti 2000 project has started bearing fruit.’ Pun aside, Porcinai’s comment reflects accurately the enthusiasm in the Classico zone for the viticultural changes resulting from the Chianti 2000 research. Better selection of clones for the quintessential Sangiovese and improved field techniques are already being reflected in the steadily increasing quality of Chianti Classico wines. Sangiovese forms a increasing percentage of each producer’s wine every year, with some producers already opting for a 100% Sangiovese riserva. Super-Tuscans are now taking a back seat to Chianti Classico riserva, and Cabernet Sauvignon, the not-so-long-ago badge of modernity, has rapidly fallen out of favour. ‘We don’t use any Cabernet at all,’ says Roberto Stucchi-Prinetti of Badia a Coltibuono, ‘and I don’t know anyone who is planting it now.’ International varieties haven’t disappeared entirely from Chianti. Many growers, for instance, believe strongly in the rounding effect of 5% or 10% of Merlot. But an intensified Sangiovese has become the dominant note in Chianti Classico and the key component of its typicity. For the foreseeable future, ratings of these wines will turn on the quality and intensity of Sangiovese in them. Vintages such as 1997 and 1999, where the Sangiovese sings, are already setting the standards by which lesser years are measured.

‘August 2000 was very hot and caused premature ripening in Merlot,’ says Stefano Farkas of Villa Cafaggio. ‘We had to cut away a lot of raisined grapes, so there is very, very little Merlot in my Chianti. However, Sangiovese stood the heat very well and ripened beautifully.’ Alessandro François of Castello di Querceto flatly states: ‘My Chianti Classico 2000 is as good as 1997.’ Giampaolo Motta of La Massa says: ‘My 2000 is very high quality. Our only problem was high alcohol – but we had beautiful phenolic maturation. It’s a wonderful wine.’ The 2000 vintage won’t reach the market for some time yet. Of what’s available now, the 1997 riservas and the 1999 annatas (the basic non-riserva wine of the year) are, with very few exceptions, excellent wines. The 1998s, both annata and riserva, are much more uneven, and while some producers did succeed admirably, unless there is a significant price difference, the average consumer is better advised to stick to the superior vintages.

Chianti classico: the great and the good

Top-flight wines from 1999 Chianti Classico are Badia a Coltibuono, Fonterutoli, Castello di Verrazzano, La Madonnina Bello Stento, La Massa, Villa Cafaggio; slightly less impressive but still fine are Carpineto, Cecchi, Collelungo Roveto, Castello di Meleto, Il Mandorlo, Le Corti, Lilliano, Nittardi, and Rocca di Castagnoli. The above average 1998 riservas from Chianti Classico are Castello di Fonterutoli, Rocca delle Maccie, and San Felice Il Grigio. Of the great 1997 Chianti Classico riservas, first rank are Carpineto, Castello di Querceto, Castello di Volpaia, Villa Cafaggio; only slightly behind are Bibbiano Vigna del Capanino, Castelli di Grevepesa Clemente VII, Castello di Cacchiano Millennio, Castello Vicchiomaggio La Prima, Cennatoio O’Leandro, Le Cinciole Petresco, Melini La Selvanella and Nittardi.

Vino Nobile dI Montepulciano: the background

For a long while Vino Nobile lagged behind Chianti Classico and Brunello in esteem and in quality. That gap exists now more in public awareness than in fact. Clonal studies, new investment and some new players in the zone have energised production. And a succession of good-to-excellent harvests has also helped mightily. The 1999 Rossi di Montepulciano that I tasted were uniformly charming wines, easy to drink and very satisfying. The examples of the 2000 vintage that the Consorzio chose to offer showed more similarities than differences at this stage: all seemed a touch mute, with for-the-moment aggressive tannins. But they are round, with good flesh and weight, and nascent suggestions of complexity and suppleness – quite decent wines for a growing season that Federico Carletti of Poliziano characterised as ‘very difficult, with the summer very hot and dry’. Alberto Ferrazzani of Fazi-Battaglia described 2000 as a ‘good, perhaps an excellent year, but difficult to work. There was good growth until August, when the weather became so hot that grape maturation slowed and in some places stopped. September rains restarted normal maturation, so those who harvested at the right time made good wine, with the potential for elegance’.

Vino Nobile dI Montepulciano: the great and the good

1998 Vino Nobile seemed less consistent. The lesser wines felt austere, while the best showed rustic power and lots of enjoyable dark cherry, chocolate and tobacco flavours. If, like me, you like that slightly old-fashioned style, you will thoroughly enjoy Le Casalte, Gracciano-Svetoni, La Ciarliana, Poliziano, Salcheto, La Braccesca, and del Cerro in this vintage. 1997 Vino Nobile riserva had the same sapid, dark, almost smokey flavours, and the same power, but replaced all the rusticity with elegance. Many wines showed well here. The best for me included Casalte, Poliziano, Romeo, Canneto, Contucci, and Tre Rose’s Simposio.

Brunello di montalcino: the background

Brunello di Montalcino provides the cello voice of the Tuscan trio, in its best vintages (like 1995, 1997, 1999) a deep, sonorous wine of great power and polish. Always highly reputed within Italy, Brunello has come farthest fastest in international esteem as well as in its internal development and exploitation – and therein lies a potentially very serious problem. The Brunello Consorzio now boasts 103 members who bottle their own wine – this in a zone that 25 years ago scarcely had 10 and is geographically small. There are many new young vineyards, all trying to produce a Rosso di Montalcino, a Brunello, and a Brunello riserva. It will be news to no one that all vineyards sites are not equal – so as Brunello’s reputation and sales have grown, its quality has become dramatically uneven. The best Brunellos remain indisputably world-class wines, but there are far too many lesser ones. What Wall Street would call a shakeout seems imminent in this zone. If not, some intrepid soul will have to undertake a quality ranking, at least of the vineyard sites if not of the made wines.

According to Stefano Colombini Cinelli of Fattoria dei Barbi, the weather in the Brunello zone has changed dramatically over the past decade. ‘Very hot, dry summers have become normal. Mould is no longer a problem, but over-ripeness is. 2000 was a unique year – a very wet spring, a very dry summer, a perfect September. Those who harvested late got great grapes – but we had the highest percentage of perfect grapes and the highest percentage of bad grapes ever.’ Lamberto dei Frescobaldi of Castelgiocondo readily agreed. ‘In 2000, very strict selection made great wine. Sangiovese can withstand drought, but it needs to be picked late in order for the pips to mature fully, otherwise you wind up with green, weedy flavours in the wine’. That didn’t seem to be a problem in the barrel samples of Brunello 2000. Most of them were soft, fruity and deeply coloured; their flaw seemed to be low tannin or acidity. This won’t be a big, structured Brunello year. On the whole, the other two DOCGs seem to have done better than Brunello in 2000, while Brunello outperformed them in 1998. The trio played together – beautifully – in 1997 and 1999.

Brunello di montalcino: the great and the good

In the excellent 1999, all the best grapes are being used for Brunello and Brunello riserva. A small fraction was for Rosso di Montalcino and made an on-the-whole pleasing, fresh wine with hints of depth and finesse. For my palate the standout wine was Val di Suga; Fattoi, Il Poggiolo, Il Poggione, La Mannella, Lisini, Mastrojanni, Pertimali, Poggio Antico, Talenti and Uccelliera also showed very well. 1996 was not as fine a vintage, but it has made some lovely wines, with traces of Brunello’s classic dark flavours – black cherry and unsweet chocoloate and tobacco – and an echo of its hallmark heft. The wines will offer very enjoyable drinking now and for the next few years. For me the finest wines of this vintage were Sesti, Nardi, and Barbi, followed very closely by a whole pack: Banfi, Col d’Orcia, Donatella Cinelli Colombini (both her own wine and her selection Prime Donne), Il Poggiolo, Poggio Antico, and Talenti.

Brunello riserva 1995 provides cause for rejoicing. These are big, structured wines that should last long and evolve beautifully. Even now they are very complex with fruit, spice and nut flavours, and suggestions of tar and tobacco. Many producers showed very well this year but the best were Castelgiocondo, Il Poggiolo, and Poggio Antico, followed a hair’s breadth behind by Banfi, Barbi, Col d’Orcia, Il Poggione, Lisini, Mastrojanni, and Pertimali.