2020 Villa Sant'Anna Rosso di Montepulciano

This amazing winery, run by women, is located on the hills around the Italian town of Montepulciano, known for its excellent wines. Montepulciano, as most wine lovers will know, is located in beautiful Tuscany, Italy's most famous wine region. And when you say Tuscany, you naturally think of wine!

The Villa Sant'Anna winery, located there, has been owned by the Simona Ruggeri Fabroni family for about 200 years. For many years, Simona has been committed to maintaining the old, passionate family tradition of producing wines of excellent quality. She now does this with the help and encouragement of her daughters Anna and Margherita. This 'ladies team' works tirelessly and full of passion & dedication to make this already beautiful winery even more successful. In the last 15 years, winery Villa Sant Anna in Montepulciano has also set the trend by focusing only on quality. This means that the plant density has been seriously reduced, that only the best oak barriques are used, the grapes are selected manually and the wines are given time to mature. In addition, at Villa Sant'Anna they have the great advantage of their ancient underground cellars where all wines can age at natural ideal temperature and humidity. Villa Sant'Anna's oenologist has been repeatedly voted one of the best in Italy, and for good reason. Immediately after uncorking you can smell the Tuscan hills.

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is often confused with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. What is the difference? The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano comes from the Tuscan town of Montepulciano and is made from the Sangiovese grape, locally called Prugnolo Gentile. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is made in Abruzzo and Marken from the Montepulciano grape of the same name. Pope Paul III already drank Vino Nobile in the 16th century, because according to his cellar master it was the perfect wine. It is not for nothing that the wine is nicknamed 'Pope's drink' in the local dialect. Montepulciano, like Chianti, is made mainly from Sangiovese, but is a bit fuller and has more alcohol. Very nice specimens come from Tuscany, and the wines of Villa Sant'Anna are undoubtedly among the best. In the cellar, winemaker Roberto Ferrini is lord and master. He is an experienced craftsman who belongs to the select group of the best winemakers in Italy. However, above ground, the 3 women (Simona Ruggeri Fabroni and her 2 daughters Anna and Margherita) hold sway in the ancient domain. Their 4 (red) wines are the Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, the extremely enjoyable Rosso di Montepulciano and very refined Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Only in the very best years, with a careful and very strict selection of the best grapes destined for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, is the cult wine Vino Nobile Poldo Riserva made.

The Montepulciano grape has been present in the Abruzzo region since time immemorial, but it was not until the seventeenth century that the grape received its current name. The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a DOC wine whose production is authorized in the provinces of Chieti, L'Aquila, Pescara and Teramo and the wine is made from the Montepulciano grape.  Not to be confused with the Vino Nobile from the old Tuscan town of Montepulciano.

What does wine from the Montepulciano grape taste like?

The grape gives a deep dark color to its wines. The wines often have a scent of ripe black fruit and minerals.  Her characteristics are that she is often a bit stiff and has quite a bit of tannin in her. It is known for its powerful wines due to this combination of taste and aroma.

Canaiolo, also known as Canaiolo nero or Uva Canina, is a red Italian wine grape grown in central Italy, but best known in Tuscany. Other regions with Canaiolo plantations are Lazio, Marche and Sardegna. In Umbria, a white-haired mutation known as Canaiolo bianco occurs. Along with Sangiovese and Colorino, it is often used to make Chianti wine and is an important but secondary component of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. 

What does wine from the Canaiolo grape taste like?

Canaiolo is usually used in combination with the Sangiovese grape. Canaiolo adds elegance to the somewhat earthy aromas and firm acidity of the Sangiovese grape. It enhances and refines the floral, earthy and red fruity aromas and rounds off the sometimes somewhat present acidity of Sangiovese, giving the wine a fuller texture and a pleasant juicy aftertaste. 

Colorino is a red wine grape that is mainly grown in the Tuscany region of Italy. Colorino is often used as a blending component in Tuscan wines and is rarely the dominant grape in a wine itself. The name "Colorino" refers to the intense color that this grape can give to wines. The grapes have thick skin that is rich in anthocyanins, the compounds responsible for the color of red wine. This allows wines that contain Colorino to have a deep ruby red color.

What does wine from the Colorino grape taste like?

In terms of flavor profile, Colorino often adds fruity aromas and flavors to the wines, such as ripe berries and plums, along with some spiciness. Colorino's tannins can be firm, giving the wine structure and allowing it to age well.