ZONATION
TERROIR, MICROCLIMATE AND THE SOIL COMPOSITION OF ITS VINEYARDS
Terroir, microclimate and the soil composition of its vineyards. The production of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is inextricably bound to its variegated and complex land of origin. In order to understand and communicate to consumers where the remarkable characteristics of the great “cru” of Montepulciano come from, the Vino Nobile Consortium has carried out a study on vineyard zoning to probe the finer details of soil structure and climate.
VINO NOBILE PRODUCTION MAP
Not only does the production map set out to underline the organoleptic differences between various segments of production, but also comes to the aid of consumers and enthusiasts wishing to identify the their primary characteristics. This map focuses on the Docg terroir with an international vocation, that of informing foreign consumers, first and foremost, where Vino Nobile is produced, and acts as an introduction to the more extensive picture of the production areas studied and documented by Enogea.
VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO PIEVE
This is the result of a complex analysis and research process carried out by the Consortium for over a year. This is a wine that will be rich in characteristics from its specific territory (with sub-zones, and additional geographical units). The grape blend will be tied to Sangiovese and complementary native varieties allowed by the Consortium, with grapes exclusively produced by the producer.
Another surprise is the implementation of an internal commission within the Consortium composed of oenologists and wine technicians. These experts will be delegated the task of assessing the characteristics correspond to the specification before the required legislative steps. With the unanimous approval of the specifications by the assembly and then by the Region of Tuscany, the document is currently being examined by the Wine Committee of Mipaaf (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies) which should give a response within 2022. If one considers the possibility of making the specification retroactive back to the 2020 harvest, and that the aging times are 36 months, the first vintage should be put on the market in 2025. ‘Pieve’ will be used to characterize the territory of the wine. Research undertaken of the geology and geography of the territory around Pieve has identified 12 zones (UGA), which will be mentioned before each “Pieve” on the bottled wines label. The choice to use territorial toponyms is a reference to the Pievi (churches) that existed when the territory was subdivided from late Roman and Lombard eras, sourced from a study and historical analysis of the areas wine production, landscape, and history.
In particular, the desire of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is to reaffirm and encode a modern-day reality to its ancient historical roots; roots that have characterized the Poliziano territory right up to the modern era and are echoed in documents found in the Leopoldino land registry from the first decades of the XIX century which divided the territory into distinctive sub-areas defined with a toponym.
