Montepulciano red wines: a tasting guide

Among the excellences at international level due to the DOCG and DOC certifications that were given respectively in 1980 to the Vino Nobile and in 1988 to the Rosso di Montepulciano. The guidelines for the tasting of Montepulciano wines, with their unique characteristics owing to the combination of grapes but, above all, to the peculiarities of the territory, are fundamental to find all the flavours and aromas in a good glass.

How to taste the vino Nobile

Nobile is not just a wine, it is a universe to be discovered in which the history of Montepulciano is mixed with its ancient agricultural and winemaking tradition, in particular, but also with a regulation for production and aging, and the combination with the products of the Val d’Orcia, traditional and with IGP and DOP certifications.

Its ruby colour, which turns towards garnet red with aging, and the persistent taste are the result of the regulated and binding union in its percentages of Sangiovese grapes (Prugnolo gentile biotype) with two other grapes typical of Tuscany: Canaiolo and Mammolo. The 2010 production specification of vino Nobile di Montepulciano also provides that the cultivation and processing of grapes must take place within the territory of the city and only in areas that can guarantee its gustatory and organoleptic qualities, such as the Borgo Tre Rose winery.

Indeed, in the bottles of Simposio, Santa Caterina and Villa Romizi of Tenuta Tre Rose we find all the shades of the grapes matured between the rows on five hills made of different soils and where the climate of Tuscany is mitigated by the currents of the nearby Lake Trasimeno. This unique scenario allows the vineyards a full growth giving that flavour and persistence that characterize the Nobile as well as the different productions of our cellar. The ideal temperature to serve the wine Nobile and find all of this in the glass is between 16 and 18 degrees, 20 in case of bottles with greater maturation.

Tasting of Rosso di Montepulciano

From the combination, also regulated, of the same Sangiovese Prugnolo gentile grapes with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon comes the Rosso di Montepulciano DOC. A young wine, as it can be drunk a few years after the harvest, but that has a history that falls back over the centuries, until 1600, when its characteristics were already celebrated.

In a glass of wine Salterio, from Tenuta Tre Rose, we find the fresh and fruity smell of Rosso di Montepulciano, whereas the round and pleasant notes on the palate are persistent, especially when this wine is served at its ideal temperature of 16 degrees. On the table, its bright red colour with purple hues creates a perfect combination with the dishes of the equally ancient Tuscan culinary tradition that goes from appetizers to desserts, for every season and all tastes.

In the tasting of the Vino Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, as well as in that of the Nobile DOCG, what must always be kept in mind is the balance of flavours between plate and glass, for an indelible experience in the throat, but above all in the heart.

Credits preview photo: Jill Wellington via pixabay.com.