Fattoria Del Cerro 2011 Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano is a bit too young to drink, but I did it anyway.
I agree with most wine writers that Tuscany’s three top products are Chianti, Brunello and, what I enjoy most, the “Nobel Wine” from Montepulciano. These wines pair well with every Italian dish from Northern Italian meals, to Sicilian menus. It is a softer Sangiovese. This wine is not to be confused with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.
If the name Montepulciano comes first on the label, it is the name of the grape; an ancient Italian grape that makes simple, soft tannin, easy drinking wines not meant to be aged. If the word Montepulciano is last on the label, it is the name of the town where this great Tuscan red is made and vinted from the Sangiovese grape, the one that also makes Chianti and Brunello.
Why drink it so soon if it can age and soften for a decade? Well, I was having an Italian chicken and pasta recipe, and I already know my 2009’s are resting well like my 2005’s, so I “tested” the ’11 vintage just for the fun of it.
The key to successful tasting of young wines, and especially this one, is to decant them at least an hour before drinking.
Fattoria Del Cerro makes an excellent wine for a reasonable price. It scores 17 points of the Dionysian 20-pint scale. In vino veritas.
Lisa Weidlich
Informative write-up…will look for “Nobel Wine”.