Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2020 & Riserva 2019: New releases in 2023
‘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,’ says Michaela Morris. Read her report below.
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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Antinori, La Braccesca, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
In the far east of the Vino Nobile zone, La Braccesca’s winery borders Umbria. The vineyards extend over 340 hectares spilling into the neighbouring denomination...
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Boscarelli, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Besides this flagship bottling, Boscarelli makes small quantities of three other Vino Nobile selected from specific estate plots. Rather than impoverishing the annata, they provide...
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Frescobaldi, Tenuta Calimaia, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
An impressive new entry this year, Tenuta Calimaia represents Marchesi Frescobaldi’s return to Vino Nobile. Purchased in 2021, the estate is in the area of...
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Fattoria della Talosa, Alboreto, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
In the area of Pietrose, Talosa’s south-facing vineyards spread over an open, luminous slope rising from 350 to 400 metres. The warmth is apparent in...
2020
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Tenuta Gracciano della Seta, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Despite late September rains diluting the grapes a little bit, production manager Julio Giuseppe Straccia says quality was high. Given the quantity of juice, the...
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Maria Caterina Dei, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
With 61 hectares of vineyards divided between five separate plots, Dei crafts the estate Vino Nobile from their Ciarliana vineyard. Ten- to 20-year-old vines sit...
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Le Bertille, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Sisters Oretta, Allegra and Olimpia Roberti run this modestly sized estate, with the latter at the winemaking helm. They don’t believe in muscular wines and...
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Cantina Crociani, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Former-teetotaler and concert manager, Susanna Crociani has recently taken the reins at her family’s nine-hectare estate in the area of Caggiole. This release shows delightful...
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Manvi, Arya, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
After purchasing both the former Giannotti and Romeo properties, former bankers Puru and Sudha Manvi now farm seven hectares of vines. They make the wines...
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Tenuta Trerose, Santa Caterina, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
In the eastern sector of Montepulciano, the Trerose estate is owned by the Angelini group which includes Bertani in Valpolicella and Val di Suga in...
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Boscarelli, Riserva, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2019
As with Boscarelli’s 2019 annata last year, the estate’s 2019 Riserva is the standout in its category this year – although between the two, it is...
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Le Bertille, Riserva, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2019
Le Bertille’s Riserva has morphed over the years and it now comes exclusively from plantings beneath the San Biagio church at between 320 to 350...
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Tenuta Gracciano della Seta, Riserva, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2019
A proper Riserva, this could do with another year or so in the cellar and will have mid-term ageing potential. A selection from the Casale...
2019
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Il Molinaccio, La Poiana Riserva, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2019
The most elegant and vibrant among the new Riserva releases, La Poiana captures the crunchiness of the vintage. It is also true to Il Molinaccio’s...
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