2020 Salcheto - Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Salcheto is based in Montepulciano and has built as much of a reputation for environmental innovation as for its wines, having established itself as the first fully "off-grid" winery in Italy. The estate runs on a combination of solar, geothermal, and biomass energy alongside extensive water recycling, an approach the winery treats as inseparable from its commitment to quality winemaking rather than as a separate marketing effort.

This Vino Nobile comes entirely from Salcheto's own vineyard of the same name, roughly twenty-two hectares planted to Prugnolo Gentile, the local name for Sangiovese used in Montepulciano. The 2020 growing season was a difficult one, marked by late frost, a humid spring, summer heat spikes and hail, and a wet finish to the harvest, yet the resulting wine still shows real depth beneath its more restrained style. After fermentation the wine matures for about eighteen months in a mix of large Slavonian oak botti and smaller French tonneaux, then rests a further six months in bottle before release.

The glass shows dusty dried flowers, crushed rock, lavender, and red currant on the nose, carrying through to a silky palate of tart wild berry fruit accented by a distinct salty minerality. The finish turns savory and slightly bitter, with a lingering cherry pit twang that gives the wine real character. It pairs well with roast pork, aged pecorino, or a plate of cured meats.