Salcheto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2016
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#26 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2021
2016 was a kind of "old school" vintage: a regular season, slightly late maturation and a season finale with some rain. The result is a more elegant Sangiovese than ever which enhances its mineral and spicy tones.
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Wine Spectator
Boasting ripe black cherry, blackberry, floral and licorice flavors, this red is expressive and balanced. Firm tannins offer structure as this remains on the elegant side, lingering with echoes of fruit, wild herbs and mineral.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of plum, violet and tobacco are front and center along with a whiff of camphor on this fragrant, savory red. The smooth, enveloping palate has a weightless quality, featuring spiced blueberry, dried cherry and licorice framed in tightly knit but elegant tannins.
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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.