Winemaker Notes
The 2020 vintage was simply as complicated as its time: late frosts, humid spring, summer with peaks of extreme heat and hail, with a rainy season finale. But stubbornness and experience, together with nature's magic, have brought Salcheto wines that are nevertheless profound and round, although turned to the subtle side of wine.
Blend: 95% Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese), 5% Colorino
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Dried orange peel, savory spices, mushrooms, minerals and dry earth. Fluid, juicy and firm on the palate with a medium- to full-bodied palate marked by nicely chewy tannins. Long and tight. From organically grown grapes. Sustainable. Drink from 2025.
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Vinous
Dusty rose and cedar shaving scents combine with worn leather and dried black cherry aromas as the 2020 Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva evolves in the glass. This displays silken textures and medium-bodied weight as a solid core of mineral-infused red and blue fruit tones slowly saturates toward the close. Staining and long, the 2020 finishes with a coating of fine-grained tannins and lasting primary concentration. This is much more balanced and complex than I’ve come to expect from the 2020 vintage.
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Wine Spectator
Broad and savory, with a dense current of tannins underneath the plum, cherry, earth, iron and tobacco flavors. Balanced, if slightly on the chewy side, with a ripe fruit aftertaste. Prugnolo Gentile and Colorino. Drink now through 2038.
There should be a synergy between the earth and all growing things, man included. At Salcheto they try to respect this relationship on a daily basis, as they attempt to maintain a balance with nature through sustainable farming and winemaking practices. These include non-invasive organic and biodynamic growing methods, as well as systematic energy and water conservation.
Ultimately, the goal is to work in an environmentally responsible manner to create the greatest expression of quality and authenticity in their wines. With this in mind, Salcheto hopes to bring romance and passion to the science of fine winemaking, blending time-honored tradition with modern technology. It is a life challenge that they take very seriously, or at least as seriously as young, passionate winemakers can.
Salcheto is the name of a stream that runs through the property where willows once grew in abundance. They have just begun to replant willow trees on the estate in areas not suitable for viticulture. Eventually Salcheto will use the wood for heating, with the goal of creating a sustainable green system at the winery that is 100-percent energy independent. Even the measure of their carbon footprint per bottle of wine is a true trailblazer for the industry, including not only the work in the vineyard and winery, but also the emissions from obtaining raw materials (glass in particular) and transportation to the final consumer.
At Salcheto, the path to reduce emissions travels hand in hand with quality production of the wines. Salcheto is full energy independence, the first “Off Grid” winery, in the sense of being completely disconnected from traditional power-distribution networks. This result has been achieved by combining, in an integrated way, water recycling and independence, energy savings, and renewable energy sources present in the countryside, not only Solar Photovoltaic but also geothermal and biomasses systems.
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.