Of the three well-known denominations of the Tuscan inland – Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino – Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is the smallest. That doesn't make it any less exciting. Some excellent wines are produced in the vineyards that stretch up the slopes to the beautiful Renaissance town.
Montepulciano is always worth a visit. The hill with the picturesque old town rises strikingly above the surrounding countryside. The highest point is marked by the Fortezza, the medieval fortress. From here you can enjoy a wonderful view over the area. Lake Trasimeno, which lies in the neighboring region of Umbria, sparkles in the distance, with the smaller lake of Chiusi a little closer. The surrounding slopes are planted with vines and olives. There is an "Enoliteca" in the Fortezza, where you can find a wide range of Rosso and Nobile di Montepulciano wines, as well as delicious olive oil.
A Nobile di Montepulciano matures in the cellar for at least two years, a Riserva for three. The name Montepulciano often leads to confusion. In addition to the Nobile di Montepulciano, which consists mainly of Sangiovese, there is also the Montepulciano grape variety, which is grown along the Italian Adriatic coast in the Marche, Abruzzo and Apulia regions.
In our trophy, we put around 50 wines from the current 2018 to 2021 vintages through their paces. The winner of this year's Nobile Trophy is the Caggiole single-vineyard wine from Poliziano's 2021 vintage - an outstanding wine with plenty of Sangiovese character. Poliziano has been one of the dynamic forces in Montepulciano for many years. The winery, run by Federico Carletti and his children, is now also one of the largest in the region.
The Bindella family is very well known and appreciated in Switzerland, both as restaurateurs and as excellent wine merchants. Rudi Bindella senior fell in love with Tuscany decades ago and founded his own winery in Montepulciano, Tenuta Vallocaia, in 1983. The Vino Nobile Riserva Vallocaia from 2020 is the runner-up in our Trophy. The Madonna della Querce 2018 from Dei follows in third place.
The area
The growing area for Vino Nobile is located in the south-east of Tuscany around the town of Montepulciano. Almost seven million bottles of Vino Nobile, which is also available as Riserva, are produced annually on a good 1200 hectares. Rosso di Montepulciano is the fresh and fruity variety.
The varieties
The most important variety for Vino Nobile is Sangiovese, also known locally as Prugnolo Gentile. The wine must contain at least 70 percent of it. The rest can be covered by other varieties approved in the Tuscany vineyard register. These can be varieties such as Canaiolo Nero or Mammolo as well as Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah.
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