Poliziano Nobile di Montepulciano 2016
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#54 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019
To the Prugnolo Gentile grapes, which characterize the district of Montepulciano, we dedicate the most careful care to express all the potential of a territory with a recognized wine vocation. The result is our Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, structured, long-lived with intense aromas that faithfully represents its Tuscan origins and the ancient link between earth, man and culture.
Blend: 85% Prugnolo Gentile, 15% Colorino, Canaiolo and Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of plum, violet and exotic spice mingle with a balsamic note of camphor on this smooth red. On the vibrant palate, licorice and orange-zest notes accent the juicy black-cherry core while polished tannins provide lithe support. Drink through 2028.
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Wine Spectator
Bright black cherry, plum, earth, vanilla and toasty oak flavors are the hallmarks of this well-crafted red. Balanced, this needs a year or two to integrate more fully and extend the finish. Firm grip. Sangiovese, Colorino, Canaiolo and Merlot. Best from 2021 through 2033.
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James Suckling
A rich, flavorful red with dark-berry and milk-chocolate aromas and flavors, as well as a hint of nutmeg. Full-bodied yet focused and polished. A year or two will bring it completely together. Try after 2021.
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Poliziano is located on the slopes below Montepulciano near the village of Gracciano. On these ridges, at the best altitudes and positions, are the vineyards of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The Poliziano Estate was founded in 1961 when Federico Carletti's father, Dino, purchased 55 acres. Today it consists of over 500 acres.
After taking his degree in agriculture, Federico Carletti worked in northern Italy. In 1980 he returned to Tuscany and began working full time on his father's estate. In the past two decades, Federico has created some of the finest wines in this top quality wine-producing area. Federico chose the name "Poliziano" because he loved the work of a renowned native poet, Angelo Ambrogini. Angelo was known as Il Poliziano, because he came from Montepulciano. Angelo's portrait hangs in the tasting room in the center of the estate. Some of Poliziano's wines, such as Le Stanze, were named after the poet.
Federico thinks of himself "as a farmer", because he is "convinced that fine wines originate in the vineyard. Selected clones, planting layouts, rootstock, pruning methods and training systems are chosen with the sole object of ensuring the quality of the grapes. This is the starting point for my wines: they are made only from grapes grown on the estate, respecting their original vintage and the typicality of the area they come from.”
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
This significant Tuscan village—not to be confused with the red grape of the same name widely grown in Abruzzo and the Marche regions—was home to one of the first four Italian DOCGs granted in 1980.
Based on the Sangiovese grape (here called Prugnolo Gentile), the village’s prized wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ranks stylistically in between Chianti Classico, for its finesse, and Brunello di Montalcino for its power. With a deep ruby color, heavy concentration and a firm structure given by the village's heavy, cool clay soils, most Vino Nobile di Montepulciano will demand some bottle age.