2022 Salcheto, Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Tuscany, Italy.
The dark garnet hued Nobile by Salcheto is a lovely and rich bodied Sangiovese, 100% Prugnolo Gentile (clone), that delivers wonderful purity of varietal and terroir with blackberries, plum, fig, cherry and strawberry fruits on the ripe and velvety palate, along with clove, tobacco leaf, sage, anise, mild earthiness, cedary wood and subtle florals. The winery says the wine and vintage are marked by the heat of the Summer and drought, which gave intensity and density of fruit here, with a slight prune sensation, but the weather cooled in the later part of the season and conditions allowed for a healthy harvest and balance was achieved in the end, and it shows in the bottle, making for a very pleasing example of Nobile di Montepulciano. Cool fermentation in steel and then matured in a combination of 70% in large neutral “botte” casks and 30% in small, but used French “tonneaux” which helps explain the luxurious mouth feel, but the transparency as well, this is nicely framed and polished, though still with a touch of rustic charm. Even in a difficult year, these Salcheto wines can provide excellent quality and flavors in tune to nature and the region, I have enjoyed everything I’ve sampled here from this winery, especially this one and I look forward to seeing their efforts from a good year like 2023! Like most Sangiovese wines, this one charms best with food and friends, it is also a fabulous value, at least half the price of any mediocre Brunello!
As reported in my last review, the Salcheto Winery, with vineyards both in Chianti and Montepulciano, was all new to me until recently, and seems like an exciting new find for those that love pure Tuscan indigenous varietals and a more raw experience, instead of the more modern polished wines. The winey is hugely into organic and sustainable production and this wine is a gateway into their collection of offerings and is highly quaffable stuff. They alsohave a unique “Goblet” head trained Sangiovese, Prugnolo Gentile clone (same as Brunello clone), vineyard “Greppo” in Abbadia di Montepulciano that provides the grapes for their tasty natural style Obvious young vine red, which I reviewed here. For this wine, the winery does all the fermentation and some aging in exclusively temperature controlled stainless steel vats, after picking the best selection of grapes, that do not need any additions, to promote total clarity of terroir and freshness, with this one seeing the 18 months in oak and another 6 months in bottle to meet the DOCG requirements. I must say I have a soft spot for what I still call Vino Nobile, or Nobile di Montepulciano now, after visiting the picturesque and historic hilltop town at harvest in 2022, where they were beating rain showers to bring in the grapes, images that I still cherish today. Montepulciano is surprisingly less travelled that some of its rivals, but that makes for a more authentic and pleasing experience and Highly recommend a visit when in Tuscany.
($25 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive