Cecchi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2017

Luigi Cecchi, the founder of Cecchi winery, started the business back in 1893. Since then, it’s a family experience to dig, discover and appreciate the potential of Tuscan terroir.

The town of Montepulciano is located in a relatively inland location of Southern Tuscany. Some document indicates it has been exporting fine wines since 1350. And by 17th century, the wines produced in the township has once been hailed as the “king of all wines”.  Citing the poet Francesco Redi. The wine’s name was originally “Vino rosso scelto di Montepulciano”. Then due to the influence of Adamo Fanetti, a prominent grower in early 20th century, the name has shifted.

It gained official recognition first in 1966 as a denominazione di origine controllata appellation, then lifted to DOCG amongst the first of its kind in 1980. At the moment, there are 892 hectares of vines under roots of the appellation, significantly smaller than other famous Tuscan DOC and DOCG. Overseas market often misses its presence.

The area of Montepulciano has semi-continental climate, cooler than both Chianti and Montalcino, especially the vineyards that situate on the higher elevation sites. Some can be as high as 600 meters above sea level. Local soil has marine origin, though more sandy than being calcareous.

Current wine laws of the appellation requires the wine to be made from at least 70% of Prugnolo Gentile, the local name for Sangiovese. The rest can be completed by auxillary varieties of Tuscany, such as Canaiolo, Colorino and Mammolo. Though international variety like Merlot is now more commonly used. Some producers like Cecchi would choose to use nearly 100% of Prugnolo Gentile.

Ageing requirement for the wine is 24 months, most of the ageing happen in neutral wood rather than new oak. Thus the secondary notes are leaning more toward controlled oxidative characters than toasty oak influence.