Hans Herzog
Montepulciano 2020 750ml

24-Year-Old Vines. 96 Points. Our iconic Montepulciano, the Italian Stallion, commands attention with undeniable complexity and strength. Grown on the hottest, most exacting plot in our vineyard, these low-yielding vines achieve perfect physiological ripeness, delivering a wine that’s not for the faint-hearted.

This is concentration and complexity distilled: a wine that speaks deeply of Hans’ soul in the vineyard. Each sip reveals real elegance, power, and sumptuousness, an immense, emotional experience that makes every glass a moment to savour and unwind.

Vintage 2020

Montepulciano 2020 – The Vintage

An exceptional season and a tiny yield, ideal for the late-ripening, mighty Monte. No cost nor time was spared in the vineyard: spur-pruned, shoot-thinned, leaf-plucked, and rigorously bunch-thinned to capture the purest essence of the variety. We always hand-pick the Montepulciano around Hans’ birthday on 9 April. Yields are kept to a mere 500g per vine, ensuring perfect physiological ripeness for natural concentration, complexity, and a flavour profile that reflects the soul of Hans’ winegrowing.  

Hans' Winemaking Comments

Perfectly healthy, destemmed grapes allowed for a long cold soak to extract superb flavour compounds and beneficial antioxidants from the skins. The must underwent a long, cool wild yeast fermentation with extended post-maceration to build depth and structure.

After gentle pressing, I transferred the young wine into French barriques (30% new) for natural malolactic fermentation. A slow 36-month maturation on fine lees, with minimal oxygen exchange, gradually softened tannins and acidity, without overwhelming the wine with oak.

The marriage of wine and wood resulted in a rich, complex, and textural expression—built to age gracefully for many years. No fining. No filtration. Only the minimum effective sulphur. Just natural goodness.