Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016 Vintage: See Montepulciano for more about this region of Tuscany, Italy.

2016 Consorzio rating: 4 Stars (Excellent).

2016 Growing season: Budbreak: 26 March to 6 April. Flowering: 22 May to 15 June. Veraison: 25 July to 24 August.

2016 Summary: Above average temperatures during the three winter months, January and February in particular. Very few days below freezing. Above average rainfall, welcome after the dry 2015 autumn, just enough to replenish groundwater reserves. Humid spring. May and June were cooler and wetter than normal. Temperatures for these two months only reached their average levels in the last 10 days of May and the last 10 days of June. From 21 June temperatures suddenly rose to their normal levels. There were 20 rainy days in these two months, with average rainfall slightly above average for the period. July had normal rain, sunlight hours and temperatures (no days above 35°C. August saw regular minimum temperatures, but cool air currents in the first and final 10 day periods of the month, rendering it cooler overall. The total rainfall in August was abundant, most of it falling on two days (6 and 30 August). September brought a normal temperature trend. The first 20 days were slightly higher than normal, the final ten days slightly lower. Rainfall was normal, and fell mainly between 16 and 19 September. The second week in October brought a sharp fall in temperature, together with abundant rain in the same period until the end of the month.

2016 Wine quality: Some very good wines in 2016 with intensity, length, refinement and the potential for ageing. ‘A regular season, slightly late ripening with some rain towards the end. An old school vintage,’ Michele Manetti of Salcheto told me. Deep colours, strong aromas, well structured tannins, and dense mouthfeels, with medium alcohol. ‘2016 was easier than 2015 for Vino Nobile, with bright reds suited to pasta with a light meat sauce’, Puru Manvi told me (Anteprima 2020). Leonardo Abram of Il Macchione told me (Anteprima 2020) that 2016 was the best vintage in his 16 years at the estate, ‘a cool harvest with grapes coming in cool allowing winemaking like an infusion.’