Maria Caterina has an innate gift for singing: she possesses an intense and melodious voice, her heart beating for the seven notes. But it is far from her only passion: she also feels a strong love for her land, her wine, and the nature she breathes in from her vineyards and olive groves surrounding the villa and the family estate in the surroundings of Montepulciano. A love for the land inherited from her father Glauco, a man of great vitality and lucidity. But how did the family business of the Dei family come about? In 1964 Alibrando Dei, Caterina’s grandfather, a travertine entrepreneur in Rapolano (Siena), decided to buy a vineyard in the Bossona area of Montepulciano. In the ‘70s his family acquired the property of Martiena (including vineyard and villa), located at the foot of Montepulciano. Back in those early years, any harvested grapes would be sold. The turning point came in the year 1985, when an exceptional crop convinced the family to vinify the grapes for the first time: the first bottle of Vino Nobile of Montepulciano Dei is therefore marked 1985.
Four years later, Glauco Dei began to build his functional cellar, designed alongside architect Alessandro Bagnoli. Made of travertine, glass and wood, it integrates perfectly with the surrounding environment. A spiral ramp leads down into the basement. Such a shape is no coincidence: the spiral brings to mind the fossil shells of the Bossona soil, which confer Nobile wine complexity and elegance. The interior is structured on travertine columns: a clear reference to the ancient Greek temples. Outside it opens onto a large amphitheater. Caterina Dei has a goal: “Sustainability in both vineyard and cellar. Our harvested grapes should be absolutely healthy, and excessive chemical use is to be avoided. As my father created and wanted, we also use geothermal energy for temperature control in both the barrel storage and the bottle refining area. In the future, we will be 100% sustainable. ”
The vineyards (55 hectares) are divided into four plots of land with different characteristics: Martiena, Bossona, La Ciarliana and La Piaggia. The Martiena and La Piaggia areas are composed of fresh and medium density sandstone; in Bossona, where the eponymous cru is produced, we find a surface layer of tuff and a subsoil of skeletons and fossils; in La Ciarliana the land is rich in clay and limestone.
Tasting. These are my thoughts on the Bossona Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG 2012. Made from Prugnolo Gentile grapes (this is called the Sangiovese in Montepulciano), it starts off with scents that bring to mind plums, mushrooms, earth, undergrowth, black pepper, followed by more desirable aromas of leather, fungi and truffles, traveling on a solid mineral trail. The wine structure is strong and noticeable.
The taste displays strength, warmth, intensity, yet softness at the same time, and the mineral support is always on point. A strongly textured wine that is an authentic force of nature! It is a Sangiovese according to its maximum territorial expression in Montepulciano. The 2012 vintage is among the absolute best. It can be drunk with great satisfaction even after 2-3 years.
Some technical data. Pure Sangiovese grapes. It is a great aging wine. It undergoes 3 years’ maturation in 10 and 7.5 hectolitre tonneaux, followed by another year of in-bottle refinement. It can even age 20 and over.
Price retail: € 35 – $ 38; My rating: 93/100
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