Cantine Dei of Tuscany’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Review of Recent Vintages

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On my recent visit to Montepulciano, I had the pleasure of visiting Cantine Dei where I not only tried the new releases but, also, tasted a vertical of their top wine, the Madonna della Querce, from the first release in 2015 to the latest, in 2019.  Cantine Dei has 60 hectares (ha) of vines in five vineyards with different terroir and located in multiple districts (called pieves) within the Vino Nobile appellation. Thus, tasting their wines is a tour of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. My reviews are given below.

Cantine Dei was founded by Alibrando Dei who planted his first vineyard, Bossona, in 1964.  Twenty years later, in 1985, the family produce its first bottle of Dei Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Today, the winery is managed by Maria Caterina Dei, granddaughter of Alibrando. The in-house agronomist and winemaker is Marco Maiani, while the consulting enologist is Paolo Caciorgna.  Caterina was attending the 2025 Paris Wine show during my visit, so Marco and Enrica helped guide me through the tasting.

Vineyards

Dei’s five vineyards are in different districts of Montepulciano with distinct terroir. Surrounded by forest, the 23 ha Bossona vineyard is at 400 meters elevation in the Cerliana pieve with sand and tuff soils over a subsoil of sandstone and fossils; the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva is sourced from Bossona, the first vineyard planted by Alibrando Dei in 1964.  Located in the Valardegna pieve, the one hectare La Piaggia is at 370 meters elevation with sand and clay soils and is the fruit source for Madonna della Querce. Martiena, Dei’s youngest vineyard, is at 250 meters with sand and sandstone derived soils; it provides the fruit for the Bianco and Rosato IGTs and the Rosso di Montepulciano.  La Ciarliana (300 meters high with clay-chalk soils) and the 7 ha Cervognano (250 meters elevation with tuff and clay soils) supply the grapes for the Vino Nobile. Dei was certified organic in 2021.

The Vintages

As is true with most wine regions in this era of rising temperatures, Montepulciano’s climate has experienced wild swings.  2015, 2018, 2019, and 2022 experienced high temperatures and below average rainfall during the growing season; the drought was especially severe in 2022.  2016 was wetter than average and 2020 was a classic, relatively normal vintage except for the pandemic, which led the Consorzio to reduce yields by half. The 2017 and 2023 vintages are outliers for different reasons.  2017 suffered from both cold and heat: spring frosts and summer heat spikes. And in 2023 high rainfall in the spring led to a serious attack of downy mildew followed by high summer temperatures that severely reduced yields and resulting in several producers deciding to not make a 2023 Vino Nobile. 2021 is also an outlier for a different reason: after a cold spring that reduced yields, the growing season was near ideal, and the wines are widely regarded as the best of the past decade. It should also be noted that viticulturists have learned how to manage challenging weather resulting in a consistently high level of wine quality across vintages.

The Wines

Cantine Dei makes a full portfolio of wines ranging from white (bianco) to rosé (rosato), light red (rosso), Vino Nobile, Vino Nobile Riserva, and IGTs. In what follows we provide our evaluations and prices in the US, when known. Dei has several US importers including Skurnik and Enotec Imports.

Bianco, Rosato & Rosso

Dei 2023 Martiena Bianco di Toscana IGT 90 Opens with a floral nose. Fresh, clean and fruity on the palate with a long, crisp finish. A blend of Malvasia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Grechetto destemmed, softly pressed and fermented and aged 3 months in stainless steel. Sourced from the Martiena vineyard. Dei 2023 Rosa Rosato di Toscana IGT 90 Light copper orange. Showing light cherry and strawberry aromas, crisp on the attack and clean fresh and flavorful on the palate with a hint of salinity. 100% Sangiovese sourced from Martiena Vineyard, which has sandy soils that lend freshness. Direct press and fermented in stainless steel with brief skin contact at low temperature, then aged sur lie for 3 months. Dei 2023 Rosso di Montepulciano 91 Lively bouquet of fresh cherry with a light mineral element. An easy drinking wine with good freshness and light, grippy tannins. A blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Merlot, and 5% Canaiolo mostly from Martiena Vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel and aged partly in stainless steel and partly in 50 hl, old Slavonia oak botti. Perfect for lighter cuisine.  Dei 2022 Rosso di Montepulciano Toscana 91 The medium-bodied Rosso is fresh and fruity with good depth of flavor, brisk acidity and round tannins. The perfect wine for pizza and bistro fare.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Grapes (90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo) for the Vino Nobile are sourced from the Carliana and Cervognano vineyards. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is matured 18 months in Slavonian oak barrels.

Dei 2021 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($30) 93 A very good Vino Nobile from another challenging year with cold-related bud damage and a dry summer reducing yields. Still, the wine reveals fresh blueberry, dark cherry and heathery underbrush on the nose followed by a fruit-rich, flavorful, balanced palate. Tannin management involved somewhat shorter maceration and fewer pumpovers than usual. Will be released later this year. 14% alc. Outstanding value. Dei 2020 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 92 A good Vino Nobile from a challenging vintage with very hot weather in September and rainfall during harvest. Silky soft palate with cherry and plum-like jam flavors; lacks the floral perfume and vibrancy of the 2021 vintage. 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo from Ciarliana and Cervognano; 15-40 year old vines grown at 250-350m, fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and aged 18 months in 33-50 hl casks. 14% alc.

Riserva Bossona

Surrounded by forest, the 23 ha Bossona vineyard is at 400 meters elevation in the Cerliana pieve, which takes its name from a village that belonged to the parish church of Saint Michele to the northeast of Montepulciano. Bossona has sand and tuff soils over a subsoil of sandstone and fossils; the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva is sourced from Bossona, the first vineyard planted by Alibrando Dei in 1964.  Replanted in the mid-1990s, the vines have a south, southeast exposure.  Bossona matures late and is one of the last vineyards to be harvested. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and aged about 2 years in 500L French oak barrels.

Dei 2019 Bossona Riserva Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($60) 94 Medium dark red. Bottled but not yet released, the 2019 Bossona Riserva is a substantial, earthy wine with a spicy nose of dark fruit and violets. It’s concentrated and firmly tannic in its youth. Not low in alcohol, but balanced. 15.5% alc. Dei 2018 Bossona Riserva Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 95 Dark ruby red. The 2018 Bossona Riserva reveals an expressive nose of dark red berries and cherries and spice. The silky, round palate is well integrated and layered with notes of dark red fruit, earth, and cigar box and has a long rich finish. 15.5% alc. Outstanding, highly recommended and our favorite of the three vintages tasted. Dei 2017 Bossona Riserva Nobile di Montepulciano 94 The 2017 Bossona Riserva is quite simply a beautiful, modern wine. Savory and earthy in character, it’s optimally balanced and flavorful with hints of balsamic and underbrush on a silky textured palate. After a formal tasting, we paired it with smoky, grilled octopus and the combination was devine. Relatively high 15.5% alc, but it doesn’t taste like it.

Madonna Della Querce

The Madonna Della Querce (Madonna of the Oak) is sourced from a 1.5-hectare, single vineyard cru named La Piaggia. Planted in 2005 to Prugnolo Gentile, La Piaggia sits at 370 meters elevation with sand and tuffaceous clay soils in the district (pieve) called Valardegna located next to the walled city of Montepulciano. Once harvested, the grapes are fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks and then aged 24 months in 33 hectoliter Slavonian oak casks.  2015 was the first vintage of Madonna Della Querce, and the 2019 is the last vintage to be released. The wines are consistent across vintages in their freshness, balance and sense of elegance. According to legend, someone saw a Madonna on an oak tree, so the tree became sacred. The local chapel took on the name of the oak, and part of the trunk was kept in the church. Caterina drew the wine label inspired by the tree.

Dei 2019 Madonna Della Querce Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($85) 94  Fresh red and black fruited nose with herbal accents. Slightly roasted flavors revealing dark red cherry and blackberry with a delicate herbaceousness on a velvety palate, finishing dry.
Dei 2018 Madonna Della Querce Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 95 The 2018 Madonna Della Querce opens with a nose of red and black berries accompanied by notes of underbrush and spice. On the palate, it’s elegant, balanced and fresh with good concentration, round firm tannins and a very long finish.  A wine of exceptional quality, it should soon be in the US marketplace. Dei 2017 Madonna Della Querce Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 93 With a couple of years of extra bottle age behind it, the 2017 is shows excellent concentration of fruit and good balance. Its bouquet reveals red fruit, herbs, and a hint of leather, while the palate is layered and silky in texture. The 2017 vintage suffered from both cold and heat. Cold in April damaged the vines and reduced yields, while there were heat spikes during the growing season.  Dei 2016 Madonna Della Querce Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 94 Fresh on the nose with cherry, tobacco and a hint of leather. The palate is soft and easy drinking with some secondary notes complementing red cherry. Round tannins on a long finish. Drinking beautifully now.  Dei 2015 Madonna Della Querce Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 95 The 2015 Madonna Della Querce is suave and silky with a sense of elegance. Opens with savory notes of dark fruit, mushroom, spice and tobacco, while the palate shows excellent depth, bright acidity and round firm tannins, finishing dry.

 

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Source : https://i-winereview.com/blog/index.php/2025/03/17/cantine-dei-of-tuscanys-vino-nobile-di-montepulciano-review-of-recent-vintages/