Boscarelli: A Quality Leader in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

In 1962, Egidio Corradi bought the farms that are now the vineyards of Boscarelli.  Today his grandsons Luca and  Nicolò De Ferrari manage the winery and its 20 ha of vineyards.  I met Luca at the Montepulciano Anteprima in February and tasted through the Boscarelli portfolio. My reviews are given below.

Boscarelli, located in the Cervognano area of Montepulciano (see map below), bottled its first wine (just 300 bottles) in 1967.  Over the years it has grown both in vineyards planted and wine produced. In the 1980s the family added the Vigna del Nocio cru to their holdings.  And in 1984 Maurizio Castelli became the consulting winemaker of Boscarelli. Over the years, the vineyard have been replanted with superior clones and tightly spaced rows.  Current production is about 120 thousand bottles annually.

Thanks to Boscarelli and the Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano for the photos.  The US importer is Demeine Estates.

Boscarelli Vineyard & Winery

The Wines

Boscarelli 2023 Prugnolo Rosso di Montepulciano 91  Very fresh red berry aromas with a hint of violets. An easy drinking, bistro style wine with significant floral notes. If drunk in summer, serve with a light chill. A blend of younger vines of Sangiovese and Marmolo grown in sandy soils; fermented in stainless steel with 6 months maturation in concrete.

Boscarelli 2021 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano  92 This wine is Boscarelli’s market leader with about 12 thousand cases produced annually. It opens with a bouquet of very fresh dark cherry and berry fruit. Firmly structured, is shows medium concentration, bright acidity and prominent red fruit with savory notes on the palate, finishing dry. Hand harvested 85% Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile and 15% Colorino, Canaiolo and Mammolo. Destemmed, gently pressed and fermented in open oak vats with native yeast. Matured in Allier and Slavonian oak casks of 5-35 hl for about 18 months followed by blending and 6 months in concrete. Should be at its optimum in 2-5 years.

Boscarelli 2020 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 94 The Riserva is a blend of Sangiovese and Colorino that offers a pure, perfumed bouquet of red and black berries and rose petals. It’s softly textured but has a good backbone, medium plus concentration and an overall sense of purity. A vineyard selection of 88% Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile and 12% Colorino grapes from 20+ year old vines. Matured in French and Slavonian large oak casks for 24+ months followed by 6 months in concrete.

Boscarelli 2018 Costa Grande Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 94 The all Sangiovese Costa Grande offers a spicy, pepper and dark fruit bouquet. A firmly structured wine, it has a bit more power than Il Nocio. The well concentrated, layered palate reveals dark fruit with savory notes. Finishes with firm but accessible tannins. Sourced from the 1.5 ha Vigna Grande adjacent to the Vigna del Nocio; it was replanted in 2000 with massage selections from Nocio. Vigna Grande faces Trasimeno Lake. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, pressed and fermented in oak vats with native yeast. The wine is aged one year on 5 hl tonneaux followed by a second year in 25 hl and a few months in concrete vats.

Boscarelli 2018 Il Nocio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 95 Boscarelli’s best wine, in my opinion. Medium ruby in color, the multifaceted bouquet reveals ripe berries, dried cherries and dry underbrush. The mouthfeel is supple and elegant with a firm backbone and juicy acidity. Drinking beautifully now although it should have a long life. All hand-picked Sangiovese sourced from the 4 ha Vigna del Nocio with sandy, limestone soils at about 300m; destemmed, pressed and fermented in oak vats with native yeast and aged in 5-10 hl French and Slavonian oak vats for 18+ months.

Boscarelli 2020 Sotto Casa Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 94  Montepulciano’s version of a Super Tuscan with Bordeaux varieties blended with Sangiovese. Made like the Riserva but a bit darker in color. Full in the mouth with dark cherry, cassis and earthy/savory accents and a firm backbone. A single vineyard blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on stony, alluvial-clay soils grown at 280m altitude. fermented separately using native yeasts and matured 28+ months in Slavonian and French oak casks of 3-30 hl.

The Regions (Pieves) of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano