# Reserve Montepulciano (2021)

- **Producer:** Noisy Water Winery & Cellars
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Montepulciano
- **Region:** New Mexico, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €42
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** plum, cherry, melon, toast, leather, walnut

## About this wine

Noisy Water Winery was refounded and expanded in 2010 by Jasper Riddle, a fifth-generation New Mexico farmer and winemaker. Inspired by his father and Italian heritage, Riddle has been a leading champion for high-altitude viticulture in New Mexico, proving that high-desert soils can yield outstanding Italian grape varieties. Sourced from the Mimbres Valley AVA at elevations between 4,300 and 5,000 feet, this reserve bottling showcases a unique expression of desert-grown Montepulciano.

## Interesting facts

- Vineyards are situated in high-desert terrain at elevations up to 5,000 feet above sea level.
- Noisy Water Winery is helmed by fifth-generation New Mexico farmer and winemaker Jasper Riddle.
- Previous vintages of this reserve cuvee have earned Gold at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.

## Food pairing

The combination of full body, structured tannins, and sustained acidity allows this Montepulciano to stand up to rich, fatty proteins and savory, umami-rich sauces. The high-elevation acid backbone cuts through heavy braises while complementing aged cheeses and earthy mushroom flavors.

## Wine making process

The fruit for this Reserve Montepulciano is harvested from gravelly, well-draining desert vineyards in the Mimbres Valley AVA, where extreme diurnal shifts retain acidity. The grapes undergo temperature-controlled skin-contact fermentation to balance phenolic extraction with fresh varietal character. Following fermentation, the wine matures in a combination of French and American oak barrels to refine tannins and integrate toasted secondary complexity before release.