Montepulciano and its nobile wine

The most ancient document concerning the wine of Montepulciano dates back to 789: the minor clerck Arnipert gave the church of St. Silvester or St. Salvador in Montepulciano on Amiata Mount a strip of land where vineyard was grown in the castle of Policiano. Repetti tells us that first exports date back to the XIV Century. The wine of Montepulciano became very important in 1685, when Francesco Redi ends lines dedicated to the wine in his dithyramb "Bacchus in Tuscany" with:"Montepulciano is the king of all wines".

This wine continues being praised till in the XIX Century, when during the 1873 exibition in Vienna, an oenologist of His Britannic Majesty critisized the presence of a unique sample of a mediocre Montepulciano that made the importance of Redi's praises very doubtful. His severe judgement blends with success of wine companies in important contests at the end of the XIX Century. At the beginning of our century, the Nobile wine of Montepulciano seemed to have come from the past, till during the first 1933 market-exibition of typical wines in Siena, organized by the National Market-Exibition Body of typical and vintage wines, one of wine company still working in Montepulciano showed a vintage red wine which was widely held in great repute. The example was followed by other companies and in 1937 a wine cooperative was founded to sell wine produced even by small farmers.

The most part of the wine produced was Chianti, whereas the quantity of Nobile was small. Today the wine cooperative produces large quantity of bottled Nobile. In the 60s took place the revival of viticulture directed mostly to the production of the Nobile wine rather than Chianti. Government and EU contributions were used by companies to adapt wine plants to Docg requirements (1966) and allowed new companies to be on the market. The Docg recognition came in 1980 and Vino Nobile began a new life.

The production area is the territory of Montepulciano, except the lower part of Val di Chiana. Lands have a Pliocene origin and they are situated at a height ranged between 250 and 600 metres. Best lands are in Caggiole, Sanguineto, Gracciano and Cervognano where the clay is blended with the sand. Almost all the wines produced are for long aging. Wine surface is 670 hectares with a production of 27.000 hectolotres of Nobile wine. Working companies are 169 of which 40 bottle Nobile wine, whereas the others sell it by weight.

The vine variety is Prugnolo Gentile, a cloned reproduction of Sangiovese Grosso, the grapes which is present in all the wines of Tuscany. Besides Prugnolo Gentile, there are black Canaiolo, Malvasia del Chianti and the Tuscan Trebbiano as well as, in a limited way, Pulcinculo (White Grechetto) and Mammolo.

During the grape-gathering, grapes are carefully chosen: only the proper ones are directed to the production of the Nobile wine. The other grapes are used for the red wine of Montepulciano or for the table-wine. The wine has to be kept for two years at least in oak or chestnutwood casks before Docg exam and bottling. After three years it can use the appellation "reserve".