Poliziano - Asinone Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 1999
Pairing Suggestions
Poliziano - Asinone Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 1999 (94 TSW)
Montepulciano is wedged between Montalcino to the west and Chianti to the north. A hilltop town like Montalcino, Montepulciano didn’t get much notice from international wine enthusiasts until the 1980s when some of the area’s innovative producers replanted vineyards and started producing more distinctive wines.
The primary red grape is the Sangiovese clone Prugnolo Gentile though Canaiolo Nero is also grown and blended. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG may be entirely Sangiovese or a blend of at least 70% Sangiovese and Canaiolo Nero. A grape that softens Sangiovese.
About this wine:
Best vintages 100% Sangiovese. Other vintages include about 10% of Colorino and Canaiolo. Fermentation in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature lasting 20-25 days and then aging for 16-18 months in French oak tonneaux.
The 12-hectare vineyard of Asinone is located at an altitude of 380 to 400 m above sea level, on the south-southwest side of the road that descends from Montepulciano to Torrita di Siena. The nickname Asinone derives from the characteristic “donkey” form of the vineyard: the land was in fact already known as “Asinone” on ancient local maps.
The vines are more than 30 years old (some more than fifty years old), and produce small-sized Prugnolo Gentile berries. The particular microclimate and the clay soil give the wine a well balanced muscular character with great elegance on the palate.
My tasting notes:
In the glass a deep red color with light brownish rim.
On the medium++ nose delicate aromas of ripe black fruit, plums and hints of leather, tobacco and earthy hints.
On the palate dry, medium++ bodied with perfect balance, intensity and mouthfeel. Still medium tannins with velvet mouthfeel showing flavours of dark fruits, leather and tobacco. Excellent long final. Top!