Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2015 preview

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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