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Nobile di Montepulciano: a short guide to DOCG red wine from Siena

  • 29/05/2020

​Nobile di Montepulciano, one of the oldest and most prestigious wines of Tuscany, is produced  in the lands surrounding the medieval village of Montepulciano, in the silence of the hills between centuries-old olive trees and cypress ridges. Nobile di Montepulciano in 1980 became the first wine in Italy to have the Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin (DOCG). An important recognition that has classified it among the most prestigious wines of our country and the world.

Nobile di Montepulciano’s history

Documents referring its excellence date back to the Middle Ages. The first evidence, reported by the historian Emanuele Repetti in his Dictionary, is from 739: the year when the cleric Arnipert offered the Church of San Silvestro in Lanciniano a vineyard located close to  the castle of Policiano.

We found the clauses for the trade and export of Montepulciano wine in a manuscript that date back to 1350. In the Renaissance period Sante Lancerio, cellerer of Pope Paul III Farnese, celebrated it as a "perfectissimo" wine for the tables of the Lords. Francesco Redi, considered the founder of experimental biology, praises its characteristics within the work "Bacchus in Tuscany" dated 1685.

The history of this wine continues with appreciation until the nineteenth century and then fell into a phase of oblivion in the early 1900s, when it seems to be judged as belonging to the past. We can start to fill the change of this perception during the first market exhibition of typical wines held in Siena in 1933: Nobile di Montepulciano obtains large appreciations, and then in the Sixties with the definitive awakening of the winemaking of this wine.

Nobile di Montepulciano’s production

The whole territory used for the production of this wine is included in the hilly area of Montepulciano, a village in Siena province located between the Val d'Orcia and the Valdichiana. Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG is  made with a clone of Sangiovese grape known in this area with the name of Prugnolo Gentile. The current Disciplinary stipulates that, before being placed on the market, it must aged for at least two years (one of which in wooden barrels).

Nobile di Montepulciano Fattoria del Cerro: charatteristics

The soils of Fattoria del Cerro belong to the marine Pliocene, rich in clays and thyme, with an altitude between 250 and 400 meters above sea level. Thanks to the soil and climate aspects and thanks to the winemaking styles, wine from this area are original and far from the risks of homologation.

A perfect example of the typicality that characterizes Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG produced by Fattoria del Cerro are the wine of 2016 vintage which is limpid and brilliant ruby red color with slightly garnet reflections. The nose is intense, soft, with fluctuating floral notes of rose and violets surrounded by notes of ripe and consistent berries, such as cassis and blackberries, that live the place to spicy notes of white pepper. In the mouth, the fruity component tends to be even more enveloping and enjoyable, supported by smooth tannic texture.

Nobile di Montepulciano food pairings

Perfect matching fpr this wine are the typical pici with Chianina di Montepulciano ragout, red meats and cheeses such as Pecorino Toscano DOP.

To fully appreciate the fine characteristics of this wine, book your Nobile di Montepulciano tasting experience in the cellar or a guided tour of the Fattoria del Cerro vineyards, obviously in compliance with the rules to guarantee maximum safety.