VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO

2011 Dei

Grapes Prugnolo Gentile
Colour Red
Origin Italy, Tuscany
Sub-district Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
ABV 14%

The 2011 is a great step up from the 2010, which we loved! 2011 was a warmer vintage and this is evident when you taste. It is richer but by no means thick, great structure and has an impressive persistence. There is more gloss here than in some years and lovely super-fine tannins make this seriously good drinking. L&S (Aug 2014)


Alternatively, we may well have some bottles in one of our shops - why not give us a call on 0207 244 0522 or send an email to: sales@leaandsandeman.co.uk.

Or, check the RELATED PRODUCTS below for different vintages or wines of a similar style.


The 2011 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano opens to a dark, brooding appearance and dark saturation. This is a meaty and muscular expression of Sangiovese with dark veins of blackberry and black currant followed by spice, tar, saddle leather and moist tobacco. There’s a broad opulence to this wine, especially in the way it glides thickly over the palate. This Vino Nobile needs a year or two of extra bottle aging to flesh out further. Drinking range: 2016 - 2026 Rating: 91 Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate (www.robertparker.com) (Oct 2015)

Very warm nose with some dustiness. There’s a certain gamey quality too. Just a little too much rusty nail for me. Drying finish. Drinking range: 2015 - 2021Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Aug 2015)

The 2011 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Dark, sensual and totally inviting, the 2011 is laced with dark red and black stone fruit, cloves, leather and licorice. This silky, supple Vino Nobile is a great choice for drinking over the next 5-7 years, perhaps beyond. The style is ripe, forward and juicy. Drinking range: 2014 - 2023 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Oct 2014)

Cantine Dei

The Dei vineyard was founded by Alibrando Dei, grandfather of Caterina who runs it now, when he bought the Bossona vineyard in 1964. This turned out to be a brilliant vineyard site, and is the source of the 'Bossona Riserva'.

In the 1970s Alibrando bought the Villa Martiena, just at the foot of the village of Montepulciano, which came with more land for vineyards and olive trees. At first all the grapes were sold, but in 1985 the family produced their first wines under their own label, renting a winery in the middle of the town. The first winery on the Villa Martiena property was built in 1989. Caterina's father Glauco, also known as ('l'ingegnere' (the engineer) had a successful business in (and a passion for) Travertine marble, so the current gravity-fed winery at Villa Martiena is a palace of Travertine built into the hillside, designed by Glauco and Caterina with the help of architect Alessandro Bagnoli.

The vineyard now extends to 50 hectares, planted at 4700 vines per hectare, in five main parcels; Martiena and Piaggia, at 400m altitude, are mainly a mix of sandstone, giving bright yellow soils, Bossona, also at 400m has tufa on the surface with a calcareous subsoil rich in fossils, and is probbaly still the best site, while Ciarlina, at 300m, is a mix of clay and limestone and Cervognano (250m) is tufa and clay.

Caterina Dei has run the estate for the last 25 years, constantly working at small refinements in the vineyard management, as well as in the winery. Ploughing is kept to a minimum so as to reduce the number of vehicles that have to go into the vines, organic fertiliser and cover crops are used - barley which breaks up the earth like ploughing, clover as a nitrogen-fixer, mustard which is draining, while rape has an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect. When these a mowed off, they add more organic matter to the soil. No chemical herbicides are used, and careful canopy management is used to prevent disease.

Caterina, musician, singer, actor, grew up with the vines around her and with a love for art and the countryside and vineyards, and all inspire her dedicated approach to making this the premier estate for Montepulciano. 'I rediscovered my love for music through good wine, as they are not as different as one may think. Both wine and music speak a universally sensory language, and celebrate the joy of living... This is what I would like to offer at Cantine Dei, as our truly unique winery is the perfect place to celebrate life. This is a place brimming with artistic emotion and passion for wine, where I would like everybody to enjoy a sensory experience, surrounded by culture and art.'

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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