2018 Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 750 ml

It took us three separate trips to Montepulciano in southern Tuscany to secure our first vintage of Gracciano della Seta’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano for Wine Access members—and it was more than worth it. 

The 2015 rendition sold out quickly. So did MULTIPLE allocations of the 2016—the last vintage we offered—with members leaving raves, calling it "everything you want in a Tuscan red.” You can expect the same kind of performance from today’s new release, which shows that the Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta Vino Nobile is drinking better than ever.

We journeyed to Montepulciano to taste with Giorgio della Seta, the man at the helm of Tenuta di Gracciano. His family’s holdings include four estate vineyards, including some of the most historic crus of Montepulciano: Casale, Toraia, Maramai, and Podere Rovisci, where vines ranging from 17 to 42 years of age grow..

Each time we saw him, Giorgio was invariably gracious, but he never offered an allocation. It seemed as if our repeated trips were in vain. On our third visit, after a leisurely lunch and tasting, we asked again, and della Seta demurred one more time.

So we upped our game. We told him we’d take an agreed-upon number of cases for several vintages. We didn’t see it as a gamble, we told him, because the wines were exceptional, and only getting better with each passing year. Listening to our pleas, della Seta leaned back in his chair as his face softened. He extended his hand, and we shook: The deal was done. And with every vintage we get, we’re reminded of what a great move it was.