SommSelect Editorial Director David Lynch is back to talk Italian wine, and Tuscan Sangiovese in particular. This wine from Salcheto is one of the great Sangiovese values of the year—an impeccable expression of place from a winery that prioritizes sustainability at every turn.
Because life is short, and wine is complex, I often take a shortcut and describe Tuscany’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as holding the stylistic middle ground between the angular, perfumed wines of Chianti Classico and the burlier wines of Montalcino. But I’m rarely (if ever) able to leave it at that, because I can’t stand how woefully insufficient it is as a description. None of the Tuscan “Big Three” fits neatly into a single category, not least because two of the three appellations—Chianti and Vino Nobile—allow for fairly broad variations in the varietal composition of the wines. At the heart of all three is the Sangiovese grape, and if I were comparing 100% Sangiovese wines from each place I might more readily take the shortcut above without feeling inadequate. Today’s wine from Salcheto, a 2013 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano comprised of 100% Sangiovese, melds the aromatic lift and brightness of a Chianti with some of the structure and concentration of Brunello. I should leave it at that, adding only that the wine is delicious and remarkably affordable. But I can’t. I never can!
First, let’s acknowledge the fact that some of the greatest Brunello di Montalcino wines (Biondi-Santi; Soldera) are as nervous and high-toned as anything grown further north in Chianti Classico—and, conversely, that some riserva-level Chiantis, especially those incorporating grapes other than Sangiovese, can be as ‘big’ as any Brunello. Second, all three regions have struggled over the years with questions of identity. The regulations governing Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano production have changed numerous times, particularly in terms of what is “allowable” in blends; when I first started studying Italian wine twenty years ago, a lot of the focus in Chianti and Montepulciano was on ‘international’ varieties such as Cabernet and Merlot, and how incorporating these grapes attracted both critical attention and new consumers to the wines. Montalcino, meanwhile, was rocked by scandal a few years ago when several producers were caught ‘adulterating’ their wines with grapes other than Sangiovese—in search of an inkier, richer, more ‘international’ style.
At present, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG discipline requires a minimum of 70% Sangiovese for a wine to carry the designation; Chianti Classico’s minimum is 80%, but in both cases, 100% Sangiovese is also permissible. This wasn’t always the case, and in the past, producers who wanted to make a ‘varietal’ Sangiovese wine had to do so without the DOC(G) appellation on the label. The most famous example of this was Montevertine’s legendary, all-Sangiovese “Le Pergole Torte,” made right in the heart of Chianti Classico.
Salcheto’s Nobile di Montepulciano is emblematic of shifting tides in Tuscany, as all-Sangiovese expressions of Vino Nobile and Chianti become increasingly common. Maybe soon we’ll be parsing the differences among Sangioveses from different vineyard sites in Montepulciano, à la Burgundy; for now, it’s enough to confirm that the grape can stand, stylishly, on its own. It doesn’t need any help (as wines like “Le Pergole Torte” long ago confirmed).
Salcheto’s vineyards are certified organic (they employ biodynamic practices as well), and owner Michele Manelli has put his money where his mouth is when it comes to sustainability: The winery itself is removed from the local electric grid, powered completely by solar and other renewable sources. Manelli also calculates (and publishes on the label) the carbon footprint of each bottle of wine he makes. He designed a special lighter-weight bottle, called the “Bordolese Toscanella,” to maximize efficiencies during shipping.
Manelli’s wines are hand-harvested, fermented only on indigenous yeasts, and treated with the lowest amount of sulfur possible. This 2013 was aged for 18 months in a mix of large, Slavonian oak
botti (70%) and 500-liter French oak
tonneaux, followed by six months in bottle before release. There’s plenty of bright, refreshing Sangiovese acidity, but there’s a silky, polished feel to the wine as well—a Salcheto signature. In the glass, it’s a concentrated ruby-red with garnet highlights at the rim, with the aromatic profile I always describe as “woodsy”: the heady fruit component is highlighted by brandy-soaked cherries and ripe black raspberries, supplemented by notes of forest floor, tree bark, tobacco, fennel, and rose petal. The mid-palate sweetness of fruit is a distinguishing component and may remind you of certain “modern” styles of red Burgundy in ripe vintages—then the wine’s mineral, grill-char finish lands you back in Tuscany. It is immensely satisfying now, requiring only about 30 minutes in a decanter. It’s a lush, pretty red that should go into Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees for best results. This wine next to a dish of pappardelle, or pici, dressed with a meaty
ragù is about as perfect as food and wine pairings get. I’ll leave it at that. Cheers!
—D.L.
