Exploring Poderi Boscarelli: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Winemaking

Poderi Boscarelli: History and Terroir

• 💡 Luca De Ferrari's grandfather founded Poderi Boscarelli in 1961 in the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano region of Tuscany.
• 📌 The winery is specifically located in Cervognano, an area considered ideal for Vino Nobile due to its unique terroir.
• ☀️ Cervognano, at 300m above sea level, benefits from the Lake Trasimeno influence, creating a warmer, humid breeze that leads to earlier ripening.

Unique Soil Types and Wine Profile

• 🔬 Poderi Boscarelli has extensively studied its vineyards, identifying three main soil types: sandy, clay, and red soil.
• 🌱 Red soil, of alluvial origin, is particularly characteristic of Boscarelli, allowing roots to go deep and producing powerful wines with good acidity.
• 🍇 Sandy soil contributes elegance and spicy fruit, while clay soil provides deepness, color, and concentration to the wine.

Winemaking Philosophy and Practices

• 🛠️ The winery focuses on achieving balance and elegance from the initial production stages, ensuring wines are enjoyable from the start.
• 🍷 Fermentation primarily occurs in 40-hectoliter wooden casks, allowing for the integration of small batches from different vineyards.
• ✅ Poderi Boscarelli has been using indigenous yeasts since 2000 and is currently in conversion to become officially organic within two years.

The "Nocio" Single Vineyard Wine

• 🌳 The winery produces a special single-vineyard wine called "Nocio," named after a large walnut tree on the property.
• 🏞️ This unique vineyard, acquired in 1988, is located on a hilltop exposed to the south and contains a third of each main soil type.
• 🗓️ Due to the varied soils, grapes from "Nocio" are harvested at different times and then blended to create the final wine.

Vino Nobile's Market Perception and Grapes

• 📈 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is considered underestimated in the market, offering significant value despite competition from Brunello and Chianti Classico.
• 💬 There's an ongoing effort to clarify the wine's identity, potentially focusing on the name "Vino Nobile" to avoid confusion with the Montepulciano grape.
• 🍇 The wine must contain a minimum of 70% Sangiovese (locally known as Prugnolo Gentile), with traditional blends including local grapes like Canaiolo and Mammolo.

Recommended Food Pairings

• 🍽️ Vino Nobile is a versatile wine that pairs well with a range of dishes, including rich pasta and risotto.
• 🍝 Luca de Ferrari particularly enjoys pairing it with risotto al tartufo (truffle risotto) or risotto with ragu.
• 🥩 The wine's energy and powerful character require complex, sometimes fatty, dishes to achieve a balanced pairing.