From June 16 to July 3, 2025, Annette and I spent time in wine country Italy, by car.
For an overview of the whole trip, go here: Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025
Fourth Stop: Montalcino and Montepulciano (Tuscany)
From Chianti Classico we drove to Montalcino and stayed 2 nights at La Ragnaie, a well-known Montalcino winery which also has 12 rooms.
One day we focused on Brunello di Montalcino producers and one day on Vino Nobile di Montepulciano producers.
On both nights we had dinner in the village of Montalcino.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (wine-searcher)
The highly acclaimed DOCG vineyards surround Montepulciano, a picturesque hill town 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Siena, southeastern Tuscany. The area is made up of slopes reaching 250 to 600 meters (820-1968ft) in altitude, located between two rivers: the Ocria and the Chiana.
Montepulciano also produces sweet, white Vin Santo di Montepulciano, as well as Rosso di Montepulciano – a dry red made in a more modern style, with fewer tradition-bound constraints.
Grape varieties
Sangiovese (known locally as "Prugnolo Gentile"), must make up at least 70 percent of the final wine. Other local varieties permitted in the province of Siena may account for 30 percent and up to five percent may be white varieties such as Malvasia.
The supporting red grapes include Canaiolo and the little known Mammolo (Corsica's Sciaccarello).
Winemaking
The aging period for any Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a minimum of 24 months (36 months for the riserva wines), of which at least 12 months must be spent in oak barrels. Oak barrels are traditionally used here not so much for their flavor as for the slow, controlled maturation they provide.
Local winemakers long used large Italian botti (oak vessels with considerably greater capacity than a barrique and thus with less surface area in relation to volume), rather than the smaller French barrels, to avoid undesirable oak characters (vanilla, toast) in the wine.
Organoleptic properties
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is usually maroon-red in color and takes on a subtle brick-orange tint over time. It is characterized by its dark cherry and rich plum aromas, ripe strawberry and cherry fruit flavors, and a gently tannic "tea-leaf" finish.
It is also known for its medium body, firm tannins, and for the acidity that makes it a particularly age-worthy wine (well-made examples improve gracefully over one or two decades). Some have described the wine as having the perfume of Chianti Classico with the richness of Brunello di Montalcino.
History of wine in Montepulciano
Viticulture here dates back many centuries to Etruscan times. During the 15th Century, the local wine was a favorite among the local Sienese aristocracy and, in the 16th Century, it was revered by Pope Paul III, who spoke of the wine's excellent qualities.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano was written about in the poem "Bacco in Toscana" (Bacchus in Tuscany) by Francesco Redi, who described it as "the king of all wines", and the wine was also mentioned by renowned French writer Voltaire in his book Candide.
For a short while in the 19th Century, Montepulciano's red wines went through a period of somnolence, and were often labeled as Chianti (this town is located within the Chianti Colli Senesi sub-zone). Fortunately, with the arrival of the DOC regulation in the 1960s, it regained its stature as a fine and noble wine, and received further dues in 1980 when it was awarded the DOCG classification.
Montepulciano
Contucci Residence
Cantina Contucci
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Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025
Lake Como
At Villa Almana in Cernobbio at Lake Como - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Bolgheri
Dinner at La Tana del Pirata in Marina di Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Winery Tour and Tasting at Tenuta Argentiera, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Florentine Steak - Dario Cecchini Selection - for Lunch at Osteria Magona in Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Running into Marco Balsimelli, Production Director, Ornellaia and Masseto, at Osteria Magona, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at La Macchiole, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Visiting Vigna Lodovico and Tasting Lodovico Antinori's Cult Wines Lodovico and Il Nicchio with his Assistant at Locanda dell' Aioncino - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Dinner at Locanda dell' Aioncino, Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Tasting the Wines of Tenuta di Biserno and Staying at Relais di Biserno, Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia): Barrel Cellar Tour and Tasting - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Bistecca alla Fiorentina for Lunch at Osteria Enoteca San Guido (Sassicaia), Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Dinner at La Pineta, with Chef/ Co-owner Daniele Zazzeri, a Michelin Starred Seafood Restaurant, at Marina die Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Grattamacco, a Benchmark Producer in Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
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