The 2010 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Il Fattore opens to savory tones of smoked bacon and black olive that give the wine a more masculine and austere personality. There’s a touch of red fruit at the back that helps to flesh out and soften the wine, especially where the mouthfeel is concerned. There’s an inner elegance to this wine that is subsequently weighed down by the brawn and succulent softness of the wine’s heavy texture.

The 2008 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Il Fattore comes across as heavy, excessively oaked and overwrought. There simply isn’t enough fruit to stand up to 36 months of aging in oak, nor does this appear to be a vintage of Riserva pedigree. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. I prefer the simpler wines in the Nottola lineup this year. As is often the case, there is a tendency to overdo the top wine, and that is certainly the case with the Riserva Fattore. Bigger is not necessarily better. Various American importers, including: Francoli USA, Orange, CA; tel. (714) 974-0322; Ionia Atlantic Imports, Saint Louis, MO; tel. (314) 865-4925, Toll Free (866) 997-3073

The 2007 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Il Fattore is another overworked wine. Distinct notes of over-ripe fruit dominate the balance of this big, fat wine. Ultimately Il Fattore comes across as heavy and lacking the radiance of the best wines of the year. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015. Importer: Francoli USA, Orange, CA; tel. (714) 974-0322