Lumen Winter 2023 - Flipbook - Page 37
Versatile, bold
and beautiful “MONTE”
Sue Bastian reviews a lesser known wine variety suitable
for our State now and into the cellar of the future
Name: Montepulciano (prefers to be
Age ability: The tannins in Montepulciano
Drought tolerance and sustainability:
pronounced MON-TA-PULL-CHAANO).
wine are usually medium to high, giving
the wine a firm structure and anti-ageing
properties; whilst the wine is also known
for its good balance of acidity, which helps
to bring freshness and liveliness to the wine
and in combination, supports good ageing
potential. The wine is also known for its
high alcohol content, which can range from
13-15% ABV and gives the wine a warm,
satisfying finish. Ageing depends on acid
and tannin levels and intensity of fruit
flavours, so depending on the wine and
year it was made, possibly cellar up to a
decade plus.
Due to its late ripening potential and
supposed lower water requirement,
Monte is suited to warm regions and
retains acid, tannin and flavour. Adoption
of innovative strategies to adapt to rising
temperatures brought about by climate
change will be required to sustain the
Australian wine sector. Potentially one
approach is the cultivation of more
drought resistant emerging grape varieties
with diverse flavour profiles to reduce,
in part, the current reliance on less water
conservative major varieties, and offer
the consumer some diverse wine choices.
But will consumers accept wines made
from these varieties? Two consumer
trials have indicated that Australian red
wine consumers liked all 12 different
emerging variety red wines under study.
Similarity scores indicated consumers
found the greatest amount of similarity
between Shiraz and Montepulciano, which
confirmed our wine expert and trained
taster comparisons.
Place of birth: Italy (possible birth place
Tuscany; but mainly found around the
calf of the boot in Abruzzo and also in the
Marche and Umbria).
Other abodes: Australia, New Zealand,
South Africa, California, Mexico.
Awards: Second in the most planted grape
variety in Italy contest, behind Sangiovese
Favourite colour: Deep ruby.
Personality: Highly approachable, full
bodied, rounded curves, intense and rich,
dark brooding fruits of plums, blackberries,
cherries, mulberry, rhubarb, plus herbs,
oregano, a little bit spicy, a touch of leather,
pepper, tobacco, down to earth, texturally
powerful and moderately acerbic. However,
it is often oaked and rich, or owing to its
high colour and acid, produced into
lighter style reds or rosé/rosato, with less
skin contact, and displaying more red
fruits, herbs, savoury and tarry/wet hot
asphalt notes.
Favourite cuisine: Loves slow roasted and
grilled meats including turkey and game,
hamburgers, pasta, rich sauces, ragus and
soups, grilled veggies, protein rich pizzas,
charcuterie, cheese. Montepulciano wine is
versatile and pairs well with a wide range
of dishes. The wine’s tannins and intense
flavours make it a good match for flavourful
dishes, and its acidity helps balance the
richness of the food and prevent it from
becoming overwhelming.
Favourite weather: Montepulciano likes the
heat and dry conditions and is known to
ripen late in the season, thus it holds onto
its acid while developing its flavours. It is
somewhat drought tolerant, a characteristic
we are investigating in vine trials, and
desirable for growers with scarce water
resources.
If you like Shiraz, you will like Monte.
From my reading over the years, anecdotally,
Montepulciano wines are considered similar
to those wines made from Shiraz grapes.
Despite the poor odds of working closely
with people over the past couple of, what
can only be referred to as, “unique years”,
my wine lab group managed to carry
out some human tasting and consumer
research. Our trained tasting panels tasted
the wines blind (no, do not think blindfolds,
it just means they are not informed what
the wine is other than red wine) in black
glasses, under highly controlled laboratory
conditions (picture individual, all white,
red light and temperature controlled,
computerised booths) so they are denied
outside distractions and can focus on
the wine in the glass. What did we find?
Montepulciano wines are perceived similar
to Shiraz.
Our findings provide evidence supporting
the consumer acceptance and perceived
similarities between the sensory profile of
Shiraz and Montepulciano varietal wines,
highlighting the potential for producers to
adopt these more drought tolerant varieties
as alternatives in a warmer future.
My recommendation is, next time you are
in your favourite wine store looking for
a delectable red wine, grab an Australian
Montepulciano and why not a Shiraz as
well, gather some friends, make a heartwarming, uncomplicated meal and compare
them yourselves.
Salute!
Our reviewer, Sue Bastian, is Associate
Professor in Oenology and Sensory Studies,
Manager WIC Sensory Laboratory and
Deputy Head of School, Agriculture, Food
and Wine (International).
LUMEN – WINTER 2023 37
