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Wines like Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Sangiovese from the Tuscan town of Montepulciano — and, confusingly, nothing to do with the Montepulciano grape. Below: what to try next, grouped by the direction you want to travel.
Refine
What do you like about Vino Nobile di Montepulciano?
Optional — the results below already work without it. But “I like Malbec” is at least four different preferences wearing one name, and saying which one you mean changes the answer substantially. Only qualities this wine actually has are offered.
What these words mean
- How fresh and crisp it is
- Acidity is what makes your mouth water and makes a wine feel refreshing rather than heavy. It is the single most useful thing to know about your own taste.
- The firm, grippy structure
- High tannin — the drying grip on your gums, like over-brewed tea. It gives a red something to hold on to with rich food, and it is what lets a wine age.
- The vanilla and oak
- Vanilla, toast, coconut, sweet spice, sometimes smoke. It comes from the barrel rather than the grape, which is why the same grape can taste completely different with and without it.
- The savoury, meaty side
- Leather, olive, cured meat, dried herbs, tobacco. It is what people mean by calling a wine "serious" rather than "fruity", and it comes with age as well as with place.
- The earthy, mineral side
- Forest floor, wet stone, mushroom, damp earth. Widely described and much less well explained than wine writing implies — the sensation is real, the causal story usually is not.
- That it is properly dry
- No perceptible sugar at all. Almost all red wine is dry and a good deal of white wine is not, which is why this is a more useful thing to say about a white than about a red.
Looking for something moving away from too oaky or woody, too austere, too sharp or acidic and too drying or too tannic.
Based on what you said
Ranked against the qualities you named rather than against the wine as a whole. The directions below are refined the same way.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Substantially less oaky or woody.
- Substantially less austere.
- Substantially less sharp or acidic.
- Substantially less drying or too tannic.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Substantially less oaky or woody.
- Substantially less austere.
- Substantially less sharp or acidic.
- Substantially less drying or too tannic.
Corvinone
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
- Substantially less oaky or woody.
- Substantially less austere.
- Substantially less sharp or acidic.
- Substantially less drying or too tannic.
Rondinella
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
- Substantially less oaky or woody.
- Substantially less austere.
- Substantially less sharp or acidic.
- Substantially less drying or too tannic.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
- Substantially less oaky or woody.
- Substantially less austere.
- About as sharp or acidic as the wine you started from.
- Substantially less drying or too tannic.
Valpolicella Ripasso
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both sit in the same style family.
- About as oaky or woody as the wine you started from.
- Substantially less austere.
- A little less sharp or acidic.
- Substantially less drying or too tannic.
Muscat Bailey A
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
- A little less oaky or woody.
- Substantially less austere.
- A little less sharp or acidic.
- Substantially less drying or too tannic.
Dornfelder
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
- Substantially less oaky or woody.
- Substantially less austere.
- A little less sharp or acidic.
- Substantially less drying or too tannic.
Closest overall
Nearest neighbours, no change of direction.
Closest matches
The nearest overall neighbours across structure and flavour, with no deliberate change of direction.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Corvinone
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Rondinella
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Different grape, similar feel
Deliberately excludes the variety you already know, to find a genuinely new wine that fills the same role.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Corvinone
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Rondinella
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Change the structure
Same idea, different weight, grip or freshness.
Similar but lighter
Keeps the character but reduces weight, alcohol and density in the mouth.
Rondinella
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fresher, and less oaky.
Grolleau
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less tannic and softer.
Muscat Bailey A
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less tannic and softer.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Holds the character and the weight where it can, and moves specifically on strength. Note that below about 11% the choices narrow sharply, and below 5% they are mostly a different category rather than a lighter version of the same one.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fresher, and less oaky.
Grolleau
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less tannic and softer.
Muscat Bailey A
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less tannic and softer.
Dornfelder
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Similar but fuller
Keeps the character but adds weight, concentration and mouthfeel.
Primitivo
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Amarone della Valpolicella
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and drier.
Argentine Malbec
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and spicier.
Touriga Nacional
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be more tannic and structured, and spicier.
Similar but less tannic
For readers who find firm reds drying. Reduces tannic grip while holding flavour and weight roughly steady.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less tannic and softer, and less oaky.
Valpolicella Ripasso
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and spicier.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Similar but more structured
More tannic architecture, for food or for ageing.
Sagrantino
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more tannic and structured, and more oaky.
Montefalco Sagrantino
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more tannic and structured, and drier.
Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional scores closest to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more tannic and structured, and spicier.
Tannat
Tannat scores closest to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more tannic and structured, and drier.
Similar but fresher
Raises acidity and overall lift, usually by moving to a cooler-climate expression.
Nothing in WineHQ's catalogue makes this move meaningfully from here. These are the closest wines otherwise, but do not expect them to deliver what you asked for — the honest answer is that this style does not have a good neighbour in that direction.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fresher, and less oaky.
Chianti
Both are made from sangiovese, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and drier.
Cru Beaujolais
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher.
Valpolicella Ripasso
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher.
Similar but softer
Lowers acidity and sharpness in favour of a broader, gentler feel.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Valpolicella Ripasso
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and spicier.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
The sparkling version
Moves to a sparkling expression while holding the flavour and weight as close as possible.
Sparkling Shiraz
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and more oaky.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fresher, and less oaky.
Lambrusco
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fresher, and drier.
Franciacorta
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less tannic and softer, and drier.
Similar but sweeter
Adds perceptible sweetness, which also softens acidity and chilli heat.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fresher, and less oaky.
Sparkling Shiraz
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and more oaky.
Change the flavour
Same shape, different aromatic character.
Similar but less oaky
One of the commonest requests in wine. Strips oak influence while holding grape character and weight.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Tinta Barroca
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and softer and rounder.
Corvinone
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and drier.
Rondinella
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and drier.
Similar but more oaky
Adds barrel character, toast and a creamier texture.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
California Cabernet Sauvignon scores closest to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more oaky, and drier.
Rioja Gran Reserva
Both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be more oaky, and drier.
Pinotage
Pinotage scores closest to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more oaky, and drier.
Super Tuscan
Both are made from sangiovese, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more oaky, and drier.
Similar but more aromatic
More to smell before you taste — floral, fruity or spiced aromatics.
Cabernet Franc
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher.
Muscat Bailey A
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less tannic and softer.
Morgon
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher.
Gamay
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher.
Similar but more restrained
For readers who find intensely aromatic wines tiring over a whole glass. Keeps the structure, turns the volume down.
Trebbiano Toscano
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less tannic and softer, and less oaky.
Sémillon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less tannic and softer, and more oaky.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Similar but more floral
Pushes specifically towards rose, violet, blossom and elderflower character.
Cabernet Franc
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher.
Dornfelder
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Touriga Franca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more tannic and structured, and more oaky.
Canaiolo
Both are made from canaiolo, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Similar but more savoury
Moves away from primary fruit towards earth, herb, meat and umami character.
Rioja Gran Reserva
Both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and more oaky.
Chianti Classico Riserva
Both are made from sangiovese, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher and more acidic.
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Both are made from sangiovese, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher and more acidic.
Northern Rhône Syrah
Northern Rhône Syrah scores closest to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and spicier.
Similar but fruitier
More obvious, generous fruit flavour, usually from a warmer climate.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Corvinone
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fresher, and less oaky.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Change the place
Keep the grape, move it somewhere else.
Same grape, cooler climate
Typically fresher, lighter and more herbal, with lower alcohol.
Nothing in WineHQ's catalogue makes this move meaningfully from here. These are the closest wines otherwise, but do not expect them to deliver what you asked for — the honest answer is that this style does not have a good neighbour in that direction.
Chianti
Both are made from sangiovese, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher and more acidic.
Canaiolo
Both are made from canaiolo, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Rosso di Montalcino
Both are made from sangiovese, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher and more acidic.
Chianti Classico Riserva
Both are made from sangiovese, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher and more acidic.
Same grape, warmer climate
Typically riper, fuller and more generous in fruit, with higher alcohol.
Super Tuscan
Both are made from sangiovese, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and more oaky.
Canaiolo
Both are made from canaiolo, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Rosso di Montalcino
Both are made from sangiovese, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher and more acidic.
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Both are made from sangiovese, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher and more acidic.
Change the mood
Safer, stranger, cheaper or more serious.
A safe next step
Well-known wines that are widely available and unlikely to surprise anyone.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both sit in the same style family.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Cabernet Franc
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and fresher.
Primitivo
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Zinfandel
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and drier.
Something more adventurous
Less familiar wines that occupy similar territory — the interesting end of the shelf.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Corvinone
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Rondinella
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
A better-value alternative
Wines that occupy similar sensory territory from regions carrying less price premium. WineHQ does not hold live prices, so this reasons from regional reputation and demand rather than from a price feed — treat it as a lead, not a quote.
Tinta Negra
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and less tannic and softer.
Tinta Barroca
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and less oaky.
Corvinone
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
Rondinella
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and less oaky.
A step up
The benchmark expressions of the same territory, usually with more concentration, structure and ageing potential.
Amarone della Valpolicella
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be spicier, and drier.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape scores closest to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and spicier.
Ribera del Duero
Ribera del Duero scores closest to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and more oaky.
Priorat
Priorat scores closest to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be drier, and more tannic and structured.
Each suggestion is scored across sixteen taste dimensions, weighted so that structure matters more than flavour, and adjusted for whether the wine actually moves in the direction you asked for. Curated links from an editor carry extra weight — but only when the editor tagged them for this direction. Nothing here is a black box; see the taste model for the full method.