Tenuta Gracciano della Seta, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

admin — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 13:54:30 +0000

One of the oldest wineries in the Montepulciano denomination producing Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta has been producing high quality, traditional wines in the historical cru of Montepulciano for centuries. Belonging to the Della Seta Ferrari Corbelli family since the mid 1900’s, the third generation made up of Marco, Vannozza, and Galdina is now at the helm. The family has always produced the highest quality level of wine from Montepulciano, though for most of its history it was for family consumption and a handful of key customers. Giorgio, the father of Marco, Vannozza, and Galdina, decided to invest in the winery for commercial purposes, shrinking the property from 400 hectares of mixed agriculture to just 70 hectares of the highest quality vineyards. The vision of the family has remained fixed on producing wines of elegance that authentically communicate the beauty and tradition of the territory of Montepulciano. Our team recently met with Marco to taste the wines and learn more about the history of his family’s business.

The vineyards are located upon loamy and clayey soil on the Gracciano hills. The grape varieties are the classical ones of Vino Nobile: Prugnolo Gentile (a clone of Sangiovese) and a small quantity of Canaiolo, Mammolo and Merlot. Through a drastic reduction of their yields (now only 35-40 hl/ ha), they have continued to improve quality each year. Over the last years the estate has changed all the vessels for wine ageing by utilizing new French and Slovenian oak casks and French tonneaux. Marco explained that the exclusive use of large format barrel is not only traditional to the region but assures that the wine can reflect its true character both varietally and geographically.

The winery is certified organic since 2018, something that Marco and feels is compulsory. This belief was passed down from his father’s side of the family who were pioneers in large scale biodynamic farming on their rice farm near Milan in the 1970s. Marco sits on the Demeter Board for biodynamic agriculture in the EU.

Rosso di Montepulciano
The youngest wine of the estate, made in a style to highlight the fruit, natural acidity, and freshness of the native Sangiovese. Rosso is released the year after harvest for the purpose of youthful and fresh drinking. Because it is released so quickly, it is able to be priced low and enjoyed regularly. This is a popular wine by the glass in restaurants due to its flexible flavor profile that allows it to be enjoyed throughout the whole meal with a wide variety of foods. Depending on the year, less than 5% of Merlot is blended in.

Fermentation: Stainless steel vats
Color: Bright ruby red
Nose: Hints of red fruits, particularly cherry and raspberry
Palate: Dry, fresh, with persistent but silky tannin
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Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Compared to the Rosso, this wine is a completely different animal. It undergoes a long ageing process: 18 months in botti before bottling. Big barrels and long ageing are traditional to Montepulciano and aim to highlight the grape instead of the oak treatment. Delicious to drink upon release but is intended to age with grace, offering decades of surprise and delight for drinkers.

Fermentation: Stainless steel vats
Ageing: 18 months in 5hl used French oak tonneaux (40%) and in 25hl French and Slavonian oak casks (60%)
Color: Bright ruby red
Nose: Intense and complex with delicately layered hints of cherry, morello, plum, violet and slightly spicy
Palate: Dry, with pleasant acid, integrated tannins, sapid, balanced, persistent, with an elegant fruity finish
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Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva
An extremely limited, single vineyard, old vine wine composed of 100% Sangiovese. Only a few thousand bottles are produced per year. ‘Maramai’ is the name of the nearly 50-year-old vineyard that produces this special bottling

Fermentation: Stainless steel vats
Ageing: 24 months; the first 12 months in 5hl French oak tonneaux and the remaining months in 25hl French and Slavonian oak casks. At least 6 months in bottle.
Color: Ruby red tending toward garnet
Nose:Intense, complex, delicate, with hints of
violet, morello cherry, ripe plum, red
berries, leather, spices
Palate: Dry, with velvety tannins, sapid, balanced,
elegant, with a persistent and vibrant finish
Learn more

Gracciano is one of the few producers in Montepulciano to keep the traditional label of the consortium. Now, since many have abandoned this design, it is unique to them and they think it reflects what they do and the product they make: traditional, elegant, clean.

Looking forward…

Next year, Gracciano della Seta will release a new wine: Vino Nobile Pieve. A new designation created by the consortium to highlight the specificities of 12 different sub-areas within Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The first vintage will be 2020.

Great press on 2021 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Decanter magazine (via @decanter on instagram).

italian wine – AHD Vintners

Tenuta Gracciano della Seta, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano