Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a dry red wine from Italy made primarily from Sangiovese grapes. It has an alcohol by volume of 12.5% and is produced around the town of Montepulciano in Tuscany.
History
Winemaking in Montepulciano dates back to ancient Etruscan times. The wine was highly valued in medieval manuscripts and documents, with papal wine stewards praising it in 1549. It was unofficially called 'noble wine' since the 18th century. In 1966, it received DOC status, and in 1980, it became one of Italy's first wines to achieve DOCG status.
How it is made
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made primarily from Sangiovese grapes (at least 70%), with Canaiolo Nero (10-20%) and other varieties. The wine must be aged for at least two years, with one year in oak barrels. Riserva wines require at least three years of aging. The wine has a ruby color that turns garnet with extended aging, and features flavors of cherry, strawberry, plum, and prune.
Types and styles
The standard Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is complemented by Rosso di Montepulciano, a DOC wine made from grapes that don't fully meet DOCG requirements. In recent years, producers have experimented with adding up to 30% international grape varieties to appeal to foreign tastes, though there has been a return to traditional local varieties in the 2010s.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Вино Нобиле ди Монтепульчано, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.