Mature Vino Nobile vindicated

Following the en primeur tasting in Montepulciano (see my long report, The discreet charm of Vino Nobile), I had the chance to taste some older vintages of two of the region's best producers. These two tastings showed, if anything, that the true Vino Nobile character reveals itself more clearly if the wine is allowed prolonged bottle ageing.

To be honest, the impression I got during the actual tasting of the 2007 vintage showed that most wines presented are almost immediately accessible when brought to the market, which is not that surprising, given the mandatory two years of ageing the...