Il Conventino Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2020

Il Conventino is an organic estate in the hills around Montepulciano in southern Tuscany, making this Riserva under the DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The blend is led by Sangiovese, the most planted grape in Italy, here called Prugnolo Gentile, with the traditional partners Canaiolo, Colorino and Mammolo. Sangiovese is a thick skinned, late ripening grape, naturally high in acidity and tannin, which is the source of the wine's structure and ageing potential. The clay and limestone soils of Montepulciano hold water through the warm summer and lend the wine its firm, savoury backbone, while the continental climate of hot days and cool nights preserves acidity and aromatic detail across a long ripening season. This Riserva is aged for 36 months in large foudres, a long maturation in big format wood that softens the firm tannins through slow oxygen exchange and builds tertiary complexity without adding strong oak flavour. The wine is garnet red with aromas of ripe cherry, plum, dried herbs, tobacco and leather. The palate is medium to full bodied and structured, with red and dark fruit, firm but resolved tannins, bright acidity and an earthy, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted. It suits roast and braised red meats and rich Tuscan dishes.