Montepulciano 2020
Regular price
$89.00
Sale
24-Year-Old Vines. 96 Points.
Our iconic Montepulciano, the Italian Stallion, commands attention with undeniable complexity and strength. Grown on the hottest, most exacting plot in our vineyard, these low-yielding vines achieve perfect physiological ripeness, delivering a wine that’s not for the faint-hearted.
This is concentration and complexity distilled: a wine that speaks deeply of Hans’ soul in the vineyard. Each sip reveals real elegance, power, and sumptuousness, an immense, emotional experience that makes every glass a moment to savour and unwind.
Vintage 2020+
Montepulciano 2020 – The Vintage
An exceptional season and a tiny yield, ideal for the late-ripening, mighty Monte. No cost nor time was spared in the vineyard: spur-pruned, shoot-thinned, leaf-plucked, and rigorously bunch-thinned to capture the purest essence of the variety. We always hand-pick the Montepulciano around Hans’ birthday on 9 April. Yields are kept to a mere 500g per vine, ensuring perfect physiological ripeness for natural concentration, complexity, and a flavour profile that reflects the soul of Hans’ winegrowing.
Hans' Winemaking Comments+
Perfectly healthy, destemmed grapes allowed for a long cold soak to extract superb flavour compounds and beneficial antioxidants from the skins. The must underwent a long, cool wild yeast fermentation with extended post-maceration to build depth and structure.
After gentle pressing, I transferred the young wine into French barriques (30% new) for natural malolactic fermentation. A slow 36-month maturation on fine lees, with minimal oxygen exchange, gradually softened tannins and acidity, without overwhelming the wine with oak.
The marriage of wine and wood resulted in a rich, complex, and textural expression—built to age gracefully for many years. No fining. No filtration. Only the minimum effective sulphur. Just natural goodness.
Tasting Notes+
Alluring, complex and multi-layered nose of dark-fruit. Aromas of dark cherries, blueberries and plums with hints of violets, chocolate and spices. Juicy and tantalizing acidity with rounded tannins. Real elegance, power, sumptuousness, immensity and emotion is transmitted by tasting this nectar. Enormously long finish, showing a wine great in its youth but with the necessary structure and balance for great longevity.
Technical Data +
| Variety | 100% Montepulciano |
| Rootstock |
101.14 / Riparia Gloire |
| Vine Planted |
1996 |
| Soil |
Shallow (<45cm) stony, gravel and sandy soil. Well drained, developed from stony alluvium. Not one row shows the same soil type. |
| Planting Density | 5,500 vines/ha |
| Yield | 2t/ha |
| Alcohol | 14.4% |
| Residual Sugar | <1g/L |
| Ageing Potential | 15+ years |
| Bottles Produced | 1,327 |
Food Matching Suggestions+
Food Match
Therese loves it with pasta, especially a rich Carbonara, or a perfectly grilled T-bone steak. Perhaps a touch of overindulgence... but this powerful wine thrives alongside hearty, generous dishes. Equally, it’s a joy to sip on its own at the end of the day, working quietly, and quite wonderfully, as a natural sleeping pill.