This single vineyard Sangiovese-based wine shows the potential and glory of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Its explosive dark cherry-like flavors are balanced–and indeed, enhanced–by a firm minerality. It’s paradoxically both austere and mouth-filling. As good as Boscarelli’s regular Vino Nobile is, the Noci just has more of everything without being overdone or overblown. A vertical tasting of the Noci back to the 1983 vintage held at the estate last year, showed how beautifully these wines develop. The 2009, from a great vintage, should develop beautifully given its ripeness, structure and balance, so this is one for the cellar, not tonight’s dining table.
Boscarelli, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Tuscany, Italy) 2009
By Michael Apstein