Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano marks a very happy return for Avignonesi. This wine underlines the commitment and the dedication of the estate's new owners and I could not be happier for this turnaround. Past vintages may have seen smaller percentages of Merlot, but this vintage paints a pretty picture of Sangiovese in a classic vintage. The Tuscan grape requires a long growing season and a sunny September. This vintage offered both. The bouquet opens to wild fruit aromas with distinct mineral tones that define and delineate the aromatic offering. The mouthfeel reveals good complexity and lots of bright freshness. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine that can be consumed young. In fact, I would recommend an early drinking window in the case of this wine.
Rating: 91+ -
Wine Spectator
There’s loads of Sangiovese character here, from the earthy, tobacco-scented beginning to the cherry, leather and earth flavors, all underlined by stiff, chalky tannins. Rustic yet soulful. Best from 2018 through 2024.
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James Suckling
A fresh and clean wine with chocolate, berry and light lemon. Some hazelnut too. Medium to light body. Refined textured finish.
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.