WINE OF THE WEEK - 2017 LA BRACCESCA VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO

It’s time for another edition of Wine Wednesday, Wineitupanotch style!  

If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you’ll know that every week on Wednesday, I look forward to foraging through the shelves of my local liquor store, on a treasure hunt to hopefully uncover a cool and formerly unfamiliar wine to share with you!  

The special thing here is that if and when I find something good, it’s a wine that you too can actually purchase because it is readily available at the time of writing this blog post entry!  I love this because all too often, you read a review about a great wine and then can’t actually find it, which can be so annoying.  If you want to know more about why and how I do this, be sure to read this blog post where I outline my approach to my weekly Wine Wednesday picks.

This week, I will admit, I was rushed. With another lock down looming, and store closing time within minutes of my arrival, I had to make some quick decisions. Luckily, I’ve made a friend at my local store and he had some good suggestions. I’ll write about those later. Today is about what I picked to go with the pasta that I would be making once I got home! Read on to see what I picked. 

Now I’d be remiss not to point out that I’m located in Ontario, Canada and I therefore buy my wines for the Wine of the Week feature from the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario).  

However, the wines I pick are generally widely available in most major markets and online too. So if you like what you read, you should be able to find the wine wherever you like to shop.  

For the convenience of readers who are located in Ontario, I always provide the LCBO Product Number, and a direct link to the LCBO website, in my reviews.

And with that, let’s get into this week’s pick!

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2017 La Braccesca Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

This week, I’m excited to share a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is a fabulous but lesser known (some might actually say little known, in fact) wine from Tuscany. It certainly helps that this wine comes from the hands of one of the most important wine merchants in Tuscany. Read on to learn what you need to know about this wine.

What does this wine cost?

$29.95/bottle.

Where does this wine come from?

This wine comes from the hills around the town of Tuscan town, Montepulciano.  Located about 120 kms south-east of Florence, Montepulciano is a beautiful little village town that is surrounded by vineyards that are planted on broad open slopes that are about 600 feet above sea level.  

Wine has been made here since Etruscan times and the name “vino nobile” is a reference to the fact that this wine was enjoyed by many noble and important people in historical times. These days, it’s not all noble all the time, but when this wine is good, it’s seriously good!

Who makes this wine?

This wine is made by La Braccesca winery, which is owned by the eponymous Antinori family.  

The Antinori’s, well known for their Super Tuscan and Chianti Classico wines, are a tremendously successful wine family from Tuscany with a broad range of interest including this winery.

The La Braccesca estate, which is located just outside of Montepulciano, consists of 508 hectares of vineyard land.  A range of grape varieties are grown on the estate, including significant plantings of Sangiovese.

Click here to learn more about La Braccesca, and the Antinori portfolio.

Why is this wine unique?

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is likely not a wine that is first on the list for most people when they think about Tuscan, or Italian, wine.  But it should be up there.

Often overshadowed by its far more famous cousins, Chianti and Brunello, this wine struggles to get the recognition it deserves in my opinion.

Made from at least 70% Sangiovese (known locally as “Prugnolo Gentile”), Vino Nobile is a thriving DOCG and these wines are required to be aged for a minimum of two years, of which at least 12 months must be spent in oak barrels.  

These wines are often said to be elegant and perfumed like Chianti and robust and structured like Brunello, but much more affordable than the best examples of either of these wines.  They also tend to age very well.  

Those that are in the know are happily drinking their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano while others are passing it by, completely unaware of its potential. :) 

A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):

Variety - 90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot

Soil type - Clay and sand

Vinification - aged in oak and in bottle, prior to release

ABV - 14.5%

Residual Sugar - 2 g/L

My tasting notes:

A deep red-maroon in the glass, this wine is clear and brilliant in the light but has a serious and intense look about it. On the nose, it is richly perfumed by aromas of red cherry, raspberry, floral, cinnamon and cloves. On the palate, this wine displays blackberry, black plum and black tea notes. With a medium finish, medium to full body, pleasant acidity and firm tannins, this wine certainly will attract your attention and hold it for more than a little bit!

Aging potential:

This wine should be aged for 3-5 years, and could go longer in your cellar. If you are going to enjoy it now, be sure to decant it well.

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

Pair this wine with red meat for optimal results. I enjoyed it with pasta in tomato sauce, which also worked reasonably well.

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 89 points

This is an enjoyable wine with a that is rich and serious, with a firm and balanced structure. It is well suited to those who like to bottle age their wines, or are enjoying rich red meat dishes.

If you’re located in Ontario, and wish to purchase this wine, you can find it at the LCBO under Product #566216.

FINAL VERDICT:

If you’re in the market to try Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, definitely give this one a try. It is delicious and certainly delivers great value for $30!

If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, I’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop me a line.

Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine! :)

Cheers!

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