Red wine

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Robe — Deep ruby-garnet

  • black cherry
  • plum
  • violet
  • tobacco
  • earth
Palate
Structured and savoury, firm Sangiovese tannin, elegant with age
Ageing
8–20 years
Serving
16–18 °C

One of Tuscany's oldest noble wines, made from a local strain of Sangiovese called Prugnolo Gentile around the beautiful hill town of Montepulciano. Its name — the "noble wine" — dates to the seventeenth century, when it was the wine of popes and aristocrats, and it was among the very first to earn Italy's top DOCG rank.

Sitting between Chianti and Brunello in weight and style, it is structured, savoury and cherry-scented, softer than Brunello but with real depth from the older vines. (Note: the wine is named for its town, not for the Montepulciano grape of Abruzzo — a lasting source of confusion.)

The blend

A typical modern composition

Where it is made

Producers

A few estates working in this style today — a sample, not a ranking

Through time

Indicative presence index, 0–100Origins & Antiquity — 5The Monastic Middle Ages — 40Exploration & the Fortified Age — 45Classifications & the Golden Age — 45Phylloxera & the World Crises — 40The Modern & New World Era — 65Antiquity5500150017001875195065