Region: Tuscany, Italy (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG)
Grapes: 80% Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese), 20% Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo
Body: Medium to Full
Notes: Macerated black plums, sour red cherries, leather, pipe tobacco, tilled clay, and dried marjoram with a firm, traditional, and long-haul tannic spine
Pairing: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, slow-braised wild boar ragù, roasted rosemary lamb, or aged Pecorino di Pienza
The Producer
Poderi Sanguineto (officially Sanguineto I & II) is an authoritative, cult-status estate located in the historic hill town of Montepulciano in southern Tuscany. The estate is fiercely driven by the legendary Dora Forsoni and her partner Patrizia Castiglioni. Dora, a fiercely independent artisan in her 70s, personally does nearly all the viticultural work herself across their small family parcel, rejecting modern chemical shortcuts, pesticides, and herbicides. Sanguineto represents a defiant bastion of pure, unmanipulated winemaking in a region that has largely succumbed to heavy-handed, international commercial styles. In the cellar, their strict low-intervention framework embraces native wild yeast fermentations, concrete vats, and large, neutral old wood barrels to produce deep, profoundly territorial expressions that capture the wild, rustic soul of ancient Tuscany.
The Wine
The 2021 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva is a powerful, exceptionally scannable masterclass in old-school Tuscan architecture. Sourced from estate vines planted across various decades (dating back as far as 1963) rooted in Pliocene-era sandy clay soils, the wine relies on the historical local recipe: 80% Prugnolo Gentile (the distinct biotype of Sangiovese unique to Montepulciano) co-planted and field-blended with 20% native Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo. Hand-harvested clusters are destemmed, leaving the berries mostly whole, and layered into concrete tanks for a spontaneous 8 to 10-day native yeast fermentation with twice-daily pump-overs. To satisfy the legal and stylistic requirements of a proper Riserva, the wine undergoes an extended, patient 3-year maturation period inside large 18-to-30-hectoliter neutral Slavonian and Allier oak casks (botti) to naturally integrate its massive framework. Bottled completely unfined and unfiltered, the 2021 vintage stands unapologetically bold and built for the cellar; it masterfully counterbalances deep plum and cherry fruit accents with traditional, savory layers of tobacco, leather, and dense, gripping mineral tannins that unfold beautifully with decanting.
Region: Tuscany, Italy (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG)
Grapes: 80% Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese), 20% Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo
Body: Medium to Full
Notes: Macerated black plums, sour red cherries, leather, pipe tobacco, tilled clay, and dried marjoram with a firm, traditional, and long-haul tannic spine
Pairing: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, slow-braised wild boar ragù, roasted rosemary lamb, or aged Pecorino di Pienza
The Producer
Poderi Sanguineto (officially Sanguineto I & II) is an authoritative, cult-status estate located in the historic hill town of Montepulciano in southern Tuscany. The estate is fiercely driven by the legendary Dora Forsoni and her partner Patrizia Castiglioni. Dora, a fiercely independent artisan in her 70s, personally does nearly all the viticultural work herself across their small family parcel, rejecting modern chemical shortcuts, pesticides, and herbicides. Sanguineto represents a defiant bastion of pure, unmanipulated winemaking in a region that has largely succumbed to heavy-handed, international commercial styles. In the cellar, their strict low-intervention framework embraces native wild yeast fermentations, concrete vats, and large, neutral old wood barrels to produce deep, profoundly territorial expressions that capture the wild, rustic soul of ancient Tuscany.
The Wine
The 2021 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva is a powerful, exceptionally scannable masterclass in old-school Tuscan architecture. Sourced from estate vines planted across various decades (dating back as far as 1963) rooted in Pliocene-era sandy clay soils, the wine relies on the historical local recipe: 80% Prugnolo Gentile (the distinct biotype of Sangiovese unique to Montepulciano) co-planted and field-blended with 20% native Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo. Hand-harvested clusters are destemmed, leaving the berries mostly whole, and layered into concrete tanks for a spontaneous 8 to 10-day native yeast fermentation with twice-daily pump-overs. To satisfy the legal and stylistic requirements of a proper Riserva, the wine undergoes an extended, patient 3-year maturation period inside large 18-to-30-hectoliter neutral Slavonian and Allier oak casks (botti) to naturally integrate its massive framework. Bottled completely unfined and unfiltered, the 2021 vintage stands unapologetically bold and built for the cellar; it masterfully counterbalances deep plum and cherry fruit accents with traditional, savory layers of tobacco, leather, and dense, gripping mineral tannins that unfold beautifully with decanting.
What is natural wine?
Natural wine is wine made with minimal intervention from the winemaker, using organically or biodynamically grown grapes and without the addition of chemicals or additives such as sulfites. The result is a wine that is unique, expressive, and often has a more complex and nuanced flavor profile than conventional wines. Natural wine is also often associated with sustainable and ethical farming practices, making it a popular choice for those interested in environmentally friendly and socially responsible products.