M�rke: Melini

SANTE LANCERIO
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG

Grapes: 70% prugnolo gentile (sangiovese grosso), 20% canaiolo nero and 10% other local varieties

Vineyard: selected parcels on the hills of Montepulciano (350-400 metres altitude) between the Chiana and Orcia valleys. The vines, trained by the simple and double Guyot systems on soil of Pliocene origin, with clay and marl, produce 80 quintals of grapes per hectare, with a yield of 65% wine.

Vinification: the ripe grapes, picked during the first ten days of October, are traditionally vinified by the red wine method, with 20 days maceration and frequent remontages; the fermentation takes place at 28-30°C.

Maturation: 2 years in French oak casks; the wine develops for at least 6 months in glass before introduction for consumption.

Wine: ruby red colour with bright garnet tints; intense and complex bouquet, of exceptional finesse, with strong notes of dried plums, cloves and cinnamon and hints of violets and irises; dry, full, savoury and pleasantly tannic flavour, with an elegant, lingering aftertaste of plum preserve and toasted almonds.

Optimum keeping: more than 10 years in bottles stored horizontally in cool, dark conditions.

Food matches: roast red meats, game, truffle dishes and mature cheeses.

Serving temperature: 20°C.