1995 Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva

Carpineto was founded in 1967 by two young winemakers who wanted to modernize winemaking in Chianti. Giovanni Carlo Sacchet studied oenology in the mountains of northeastern Italy before moving to Tuscany, where he met Antonio Mario Zaccheo, who came from a family of vignerons in Puglia. The pair founded Carpineto and today the company owns 1,200 vineyard acres in Chianti Classico, Montepulciano, Montalcino and Maremma. Carpineto now includes several labels, such as Dogajolo and Farnito. They remain best known for their D.O.C.G. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile de Montepulciano.

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. Rosso de Montepulciano DOC is made of the same grapes but by law must be aged a minimum of only six months, compared with a minimum of two years for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. There are also Montepulciano IGT wines, which refer to wines from the area but not made according to the regulations of the other two appellations. In general, the reds of Montepulciano have softer tannins than Brunello and are less acidic than Chianti. Montepulicano is also famous for its Vine Santo, a white dessert wine.