A guide to tasting Red Wine of Montepulciano

The wine cellar of Borgo Tre Rose is the perfect venue where to taste the most popular wines of Montepulciano, produced in this wonderful estate. In this article, we are going to discover a particular and versatile wine, the Red Wine of Montepulciano DOC.

The Red Wine of Montepulciano is a DOC wine produced in the area of ​​Siena and Montepulciano, and it’s considered the brother of the Vino Nobile DOCG.

Things to know about Red Wine of Montepulciano

This particular variety is obtained from Prugnolo Gentile and Merlot grapes, which gives to the wine an incredible softness, together with the union with the Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon vines.

The Red Wine of Montepulciano is described as young, as the aging times are less than the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: 4 months in a cement tank and 4 months in bottles, to allow the flavors to express with their incredible freshness.

Rosso di Montepulciano DOC has a bright ruby red color with purple veins. Its smell is fresh, with nice balsamic notes. The taste is dry, harmonious and vaguely tannic and it leaves a pleasantly fruity aftertaste, rich in red fruit. A particular kind of wine is the Rosso di Montepulciano DOC „Salterio“, that you can taste and buy at Borgo Tre Rose. The term „Salterio“ refers to psaltery, a stringed instrument, whose origins date back to 300 B.C., at least.

The wine is left to rest in the historic cellars of Borgo Tre Rose in large barrels with oak and chestnut staves in a delicate process that guarantees the absolute quality of the final product. This Rosso is a young wine, therefore it can be tasted within a few years from the harvest.
Its taste features round and pleasant notes, with marked but nice hints of plum and cherry, mulberry blackberries and red currant. At the end of the tasting, however, the wine gives a delicate and elegant spiciness, with delicate balsamic scents.

The Montepulciano Red Wine won the Mundus Vini award and got the silver medal of the 2013 harvest.

How to pair Red Wine of Montepulciano with Tuscan dishes

Montepulciano Red Wine DOC „Salterio“ is a versatile wine that can be enjoyed throughout the meal. The recommended temperature to appreciate it to the fullest, to bring out the most of the flavors and details and spicy notes, is about 16 °.

The perfect pairing is with pasta dishes based on meat sauce, known as ragù, such as the famous Tuscan pappardelle with wild boar, but it’s recommended even with meat dishes, such as roasts and grilled red meat and, more generally, with all kinds of game.

It should also be paired with mushroom based dishes: traditional soups, acquacotta with mushrooms, fried mushrooms or Tuscan stewed mushrooms.

Furthermore, we suggest to combine this wine with the prestigious Tuscan cold cuts, such as Lardo di Colonnata, Bazzone ham or San Miniato rigatino, but also with typical seasoned cheeses, such as the excellent Tuscan pecorino or pecorino delle Balze Volterrane, two DOP local specialties.