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Wine Description
The Story
Nectar Dei, our super-premium wine, an extraordinary cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot, was christened after the ancient name of the Nittardi estate discovered in a document from 1183. As is the tradition of Nittardi, the first bottles of this new wine were presented to Pope Benedict XVI — just as Michelangelo Buonarroti did in the 16th century when he, the owner of the estate at the time, paid tribute to the popes Julius II and Leo X by presenting them with, to use Michelangelo’s own words, “the genuine wine of Nittardi”.
Wine Information
The winery
The boutique winery Nittardi lies between Castellina and Panzano in the heart of the Chianti Classico region and has also vineyards in Maremma. Nittardi was first mentioned as „Nectar Dei“ in 1183. In the 16th century, the winery belonged to Michelangelo Buonarroti, who produced his own wine here. He is known to have sent some of his wine to the Pope in Rome as a „genuine gift“.
The vineyard
Nectar Dei grows in our Maremma property called Mongibello delle Mandorlaie between Scansano and Magliano, only 8 km away from the sea at an altitude of 250m. The soil is mostly sand with granit and schist stones and clay underneath.
The vintage
The 2013 vintage can be described as a classic and balanced vintage with lower temperatures compared to the two previous vintages: 2011 and 2012. After a cold winter and a real spring summer arrived late and the grapes developed slowly but created a healthy balance between sugar and acidity. In Maremma we started to harvest the Merlot in the first week of September and finished with Petit Verdot one month later.
The wine
Nectar Dei is the Super Premium Wine of Nittardi and was christened with the ancient name of Nittardi from 1183, and, following tradition, the first bottles of Nectar Dei are offered to Pope Francesco.
Profile
Deep red with hints of purple color. On the nose ripe notes of cassis, blackberries and raspberry combined with tobacco and leather. Nicely concentrated with lush, rounded tannins and elegant notes as black cherries and licorice on the palate. Long and rich finish where the complexity of the wine shines through. Nectar Dei 2013 has an important ageing potential of 20+ years.
Awards & Accolades
James Suckling – 94 Points Robert Parker – 93 Points