Vino Nobile di Montepulciano bottles are ones that I'm always on the lookout for because they consistently deliver quality at a low price. This one is a perfect example.
These wines are often made of a blend, predominantly Sangiovese (in this case it's 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo), so you want to be sure not to confuse them with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo bottles, which are also great Italian red wines but ones that are made from the Montepulciano grape in a different area of Italy.
I found this wine at my Costco for $14.99, which is about $5 less than I saw it selling for online. And the ratings are pretty high, a 92 from Wine Spectator (proudly stickered on the bottle) and a 91 from Wine Advocate. And it has a few years of age in the bottle being a 2011, so I was anxious to dive in.
It started a little disjointed out of the bottle, so I threw it in a decanter and waited, sneaking a taste every time I walked by. I'd say it was 45 minutes when it really came out of its shell. And it was pizza night at our house, which paired perfectly with this wine.
The wine has a little of that old library smell you get on these Italian wines, combined with a touch of herbs and garden scents but once in the mouth it was very much alive and fresh. Fruit is dark cherry driven, a little blackberry, some anise; medium in body and super clean throughout.
The only aspect I was hoping for a little more in would be the finish, which I felt wrapped up a little too soon. But this is a very nice wine for $15, and one that is great for pizza night as we enjoyed it, but could also be paired with big hearty red meat dishes of any kind. I'm adding this bottle to our recommended list.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 points
Costco item number: 1030008
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Cumberland)
Alc. 13.5%
