Winemaker Notes
The "bug" grew into a passion over the years as the couple took regular wine-county outings and several wine-related courses. While on a family vacation in California's Gold Country, they stumbled upon the Shenandoah Valley property where their winery and home currently reside. With the September 1984 purchase of this 21-acre property and the subsequent 1987 acquisition of the neighboring 18.5 acre original homestead, the passion became reality.
Vino Noceto's goal has always been to produce a food-friendly, Chianti-style Sangiovese that is true to its Tuscan roots. The Gulletts' passion for Sangiovese has never waned. Wine critic Mike Dunne calls Vino Noceto "the state's go-to house ... and most respected producer of sangiovese wines in California."
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.