I haven't checked, but I suspect this week we have the longest title since I started, stopped, restarted, paused (etc.) this exercise. Loads of winey based observations on offer with this one, which is:
Firstly, it is obligatory to observe that although Montepulciano is a grape variety, it is not used in the production of Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano. This is because there is both a village in Tuscany (western Italy) and a grape from Abruzzo (eastern Italy) that share a name. The eastern wine is known as Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, being made from that grape in that region. This one, the western option, is a noble wine from the village of Montepulciano, made with Prugnolo Gentile.
As I have observed before, Italy likes to be difficult to understand. In this case they could have referred to the grape they have used as Sangiovese, making it more familiar to many drinkers including me, but instead used the local synonym.
Under its more familiar name it is the key ingredient in all of the many variations of Chianti, such as Classico, Superiore, Rufina, Colli Senesi, Fiorentini, etc, etc..
The makers, Bonacchi, describe Prugnolo Gentile as giving Vino Nobile as the highest expression of the Sangiovese of this land. A proud claim indeed, considering all the competition. Are they right?
As ever, I don't know about that as I simply haven't tasted enough of the other available 'expressions', but there is no doubt that this is a good wine. You could look back a few posts to Week Q (2021) to find a definition of Good Wine, if you have nothing better to do.
I decanted the wine before trying it, partly because I have a nice wine decanting funnel and I like to watch the liquid run down all parts of the inside of the decanter to provide some pre-tasting visual anticipatory excitement, and partly because I expected I wouldn't finish it in one sitting and so was curious to see whether an overnight rest in something other than the bottle would tease out any additional flavours or textures.
First impressions were very favourable. The wine was four years old so it had had some chance to develop more flavours than those of the grapes and it was very nicely balanced in terms of acidity and structure. The tannin was present, underpinning the red fruit and floral foundations, and there were also some spice and leathery tobacco elements that came through afterwards and towards the finish. These are likely the results of its time spent maturing in oak and then bottle. This wine rewarded thoughtful appreciation in place of hurried swilling and I did enjoy it. On day one I drank it with a pepperoni and chilli pizza which was a mistake. I should have chosen something with less spice, but as I drank most of it after I had finished eating that was ok.
On the second day I drank it as an aperitif because a couple of red wine drinking friends were on their way round and there wasn't enough left to share! Had it improved? Not really, but it was still lovely.
Drink again? Yes, especially at the mix six price (or less, which I will explain on another occasion).
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