Poderi Boscarelli
poh-DEH-ree bos-kah-REL-lee
A family-owned Vino Nobile di Montepulciano estate in Cervognano, led by three generations of the De Ferrari Corradi family.
Poderi Boscarelli is a family-owned estate in Cervognano, Montepulciano, founded in 1962 by Egidio Corradi. After his son-in-law Ippolito De Ferrari died in 1983, Paola De Ferrari Corradi took over the winery and hired Maurizio Castelli as consulting enologist in 1984, and her sons Luca and Nicolò De Ferrari now lead the estate as its third generation. The winery's own site reports 30 hectares of vineyard in Cervognano and about 150,000 bottles produced per year, with Sangiovese (locally Prugnolo Gentile) covering roughly 80 percent of plantings. The flagship Il Nocio, sourced from a single vineyard owned since 1988, and the estate's Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016, which ranked in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of both 2020 (as the annata, #39) and 2022 (as the Riserva, #31), anchor Boscarelli's reputation as a leading Montepulciano producer.
Founding and Family History
Poderi Boscarelli was founded in 1962, when Egidio Corradi, from a Montepulciano family with a degree in economics and commerce, purchased two semi-abandoned farms in Cervognano di Montepulciano; a profile of the estate by The Connected Table describes him as an international grain broker based in Genoa. In the 1960s his daughter Paola Corradi and her husband Ippolito De Ferrari expanded the project, planting the first specialized vineyards at a density of 3,500 vines per hectare and converting old stables into a winery. The estate's current Vino Nobile di Montepulciano label was first released in 1968; per i-WineReview, the estate had already bottled its first wine, just 300 bottles, in 1967. Ippolito De Ferrari died in 1983. Paola De Ferrari Corradi then took over the winery, with her sons Luca and Nicolò still teenagers, and hired Maurizio Castelli as consulting enologist in 1984; the estate's own site still refers to him in the present tense as its consulting enologist. Luca, born in Genoa in 1966, originally studied political science intending to become a diplomat before devoting himself to winemaking in 1988; he now focuses on wine styling and vineyard work alongside Castelli. Nicolò, born in Genoa in January 1969, studied agriculture at the University of Perugia and then architecture in Genoa before moving to Tuscany in 1997 to lead vineyard management and the winery's expansion. Paola, Luca and Nicolò De Ferrari Corradi lead the estate today.
- 1962: Egidio Corradi purchases two semi-abandoned farms in Cervognano; his daughter Paola and her husband Ippolito De Ferrari expand the project through the 1960s
- 1967: first 300 bottles produced (per i-WineReview); 1968: the current Vino Nobile di Montepulciano label is first released
- 1983: Ippolito De Ferrari dies; Paola De Ferrari Corradi takes over and hires Maurizio Castelli as consulting enologist in 1984
- Luca De Ferrari (born Genoa, 1966) joins the winemaking side in 1988; Nicolò De Ferrari (born Genoa, January 1969) moves to Tuscany in 1997 to lead vineyard management and winery expansion
- Founded in 1962 when Egidio Corradi purchased two semi-abandoned farms in Cervognano di Montepulciano; the estate has been run by the De Ferrari Corradi family for three generations
- Ippolito De Ferrari died in 1983; his wife Paola De Ferrari Corradi then took over the winery, with sons Luca and Nicolò still teenagers, and hired Maurizio Castelli as consulting enologist in 1984
- The estate's own site reports 30 hectares of vineyard in Cervognano, on the northeast side of Montepulciano at roughly 300 meters elevation, with Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) covering about 80 percent of plantings
- Vigna del Nocio: 4 hectares owned since 1988 on the estate's east side (280 to 350 meters elevation); special Prugnolo Gentile selections made there since 1991; the flagship Il Nocio bottling runs about 5,000 bottles a year
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2016 ranked #31 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2022 and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016 ranked #39 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020; Costa Grande 2021 ranked #9 in James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of Italy 2025
- The estate's own site reports 65 years of production and about 150,000 bottles made per year as of 2026
- i-WineReview scored the 2018 Il Nocio 95 points, calling it "Boscarelli's best wine," and rated the 2020 Vino Nobile Riserva and the 2018 Costa Grande 94 points each
Terroir and Vineyards
The estate's own site reports 30 hectares of vineyard in Cervognano, on the northeast side of Montepulciano facing the Valdichiana, at roughly 300 meters above sea level on an east-facing slope with strong thermal ventilation. The soils are of alluvial origin, rich in skeleton and sand, giving good drainage and mineral character to the grapes. Sangiovese, known locally as Prugnolo Gentile, accounts for about 80 percent of the estate's plantings; the remainder is planted to the native varieties Colorino, Canaiolo and Mammolo alongside the international varieties Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes are picked according to ripeness, which the estate ties to plant age, vineyard location and soil composition, and each selection is fermented separately, producing more than 30 distinct Sangiovese cuvées in a given vintage that are blended together only just before bottling.
- 30 hectares of vineyard in Cervognano at approximately 300 meters elevation, northeast of Montepulciano facing the Valdichiana
- Alluvial soils rich in skeleton and sand provide good drainage and mineral character
- Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) covers about 80 percent of plantings; the balance is Colorino, Canaiolo, Mammolo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
- More than 30 separate Sangiovese cuvées are vinified from each vintage and blended just before bottling
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The core Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, first released under its current label in 1968, is blended mainly from Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Canaiolo, sourced from vineyards at least 10 years old on red, sandy, mineral soils; the estate now produces about 50,000 bottles a year. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, softly pressed and fermented with native yeasts in oak vats or steel for about a week, then aged 18 to 24 months in Allier and Slavonian oak of 5 to 35 hectoliters, with a recommended drinking window from the 5th to the 8th year. The Vino Nobile Riserva was reintroduced from the 2010 vintage after a nearly 20-year pause, its last edition before that having been 1992; it is blended mainly from Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Colorino from vineyards at least 20 years old, aged 28 to 32 months in 5 to 25 hectoliter Slavonian or French oak, with a recommended window from the 5th to the 10th year. The “Sotto Casa” Riserva, a single-vineyard cru produced since the 2011 vintage from the vineyard of the same name, blends Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with Cabernet Sauvignon and a smaller portion of Merlot (i-WineReview reported the 2020 vintage as 85 percent Sangiovese, 10 percent Merlot and 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon) and is aged 28 to 32 months. Il Nocio, the estate's flagship, is sourced entirely from the 4-hectare Vigna del Nocio, owned since 1988, with special Prugnolo Gentile selections made there since 1991; about 5,000 bottles are produced each year, 100 percent Sangiovese, aged 18 to 24 months in 5 to 10 hectoliter French and Slavonian oak, with an aging potential the estate measures in decades and a recommended drinking window from the 5th year. Costa Grande, from the adjacent 1.5-hectare Vigna Grande replanted in 2000 with massal selections from Nocio plus clonal selections at a density of 7,000 vines per hectare, has been vinified and bottled separately as a cru since the 2015 vintage, producing about 4,000 bottles a year of 100 percent Sangiovese. Beyond the Vino Nobile range, the estate makes the “Prugnolo” Rosso di Montepulciano (produced since 1989, under its current label since 2003, about 20,000 bottles a year, mainly Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Mammolo), the “De Ferrari” IGT Toscana Rosso from young vineyard parcels (mainly Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Merlot), the Boscarelli I.G.T. Toscana (a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot in proportions that vary by vintage, aged 12 to 18 months in small French oak barrels from the Massif Central), “Il Bianco” IGT Toscana (a blend of Viognier and Petit Manseng with a small percentage of Vermentino, fermented and aged separately in steel with batonage), and “Familiae,” a Vinsanto di Montepulciano DOC Riserva made mainly from naturally dried Sangiovese and other red grapes fermented in small wooden caratelli.
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG: mainly Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Canaiolo; about 50,000 bottles a year; aged 18 to 24 months in 5 to 35 hl Allier and Slavonian oak
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva: reintroduced from the 2010 vintage after a near 20-year pause (last edition 1992); mainly Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Colorino from vines 20+ years old; aged 28 to 32 months
- “Sotto Casa” Riserva: single-vineyard cru since the 2011 vintage; Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (2020 vintage: 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon per i-WineReview); aged 28 to 32 months
- Il Nocio: 100% Prugnolo Gentile from the 4-hectare Vigna del Nocio owned since 1988; about 5,000 bottles a year; aged 18 to 24 months in 5 to 10 hl French and Slavonian oak
- Costa Grande: 100% Sangiovese from the 1.5-hectare Vigna Grande, replanted 2000 with Nocio massal selections at 7,000 vines per hectare; vinified separately as a cru since the 2015 vintage; about 4,000 bottles a year
Recognition
Boscarelli's Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016 ranked #39 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020, and the estate's Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2016 ranked #31 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2022, both per the estate's own site. Wine Spectator also featured Boscarelli's Vino Nobile di Montepulciano on its cover in an issue announced by the estate on October 23, 2023. The Costa Grande 2021 was ranked #9 in James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of Italy 2025, announced by the estate on September 20, 2025. Reviewing the portfolio in March 2024, i-WineReview scored the 2018 Il Nocio 95 points, describing it as “Boscarelli's best wine,” and rated the 2020 Vino Nobile Riserva 94, the 2018 Costa Grande 94, the 2020 “Sotto Casa” Riserva 94, the 2021 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 92, and the 2023 “Prugnolo” Rosso di Montepulciano 91; the review named Demeine Estates as the wines' US importer.
- Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2020: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2016, #39
- Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2016, #31
- Wine Spectator cover feature on Boscarelli's Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, announced by the estate October 23, 2023
- James Suckling Top 100 Wines of Italy 2025: Costa Grande 2021, #9
- i-WineReview (March 2024): 2018 Il Nocio 95 points (“Boscarelli's best wine”); 2020 Riserva and 2018 Costa Grande 94 points each; US importer Demeine Estates
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See it in the WineShopVisiting the Estate
Boscarelli describes itself on its own site as a small family winery in the Montepulciano countryside that welcomes visitors to stroll through the vineyards, tour the winery and taste its wines. Tours can be booked through the estate's wine tour reservation contact.
- Wine tours include a walk through the vineyards, a winery visit and a tasting
- Reservations are made through the estate's own site
Sources and last verified
Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/index.php, https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/content.php?page=172 (Our History), https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/content.php?page=173 (The Family), https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/content.php?page=3 (The Terroir), https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/content.php?page=174 (Wine Tour), https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/contact.php, individual wine pages under https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/article_details.php, and estate news posts at https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/news_view.php. Secondary sources: The Connected Table (“Montepulciano's Poderi Boscarelli – Rooted in Family”) and i-WineReview (“Boscarelli: A Quality Leader in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano,” March 21, 2024). Last verified 2026-09-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs; the estate's homepage roadmap widget lists 1961 as its foundation year, while the estate's own history page and both secondary sources place the founding purchase in 1962, which this article follows. Spot something off? Contact the estate directly via https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/contact.php.
Pour one glass. Keep the bottle for months.
Coravin is how I drink the serious stuff on a Tuesday without committing to the whole bottle.
See Coravin- Poderi Boscarelli “Prugnolo” Rosso di Montepulciano€14.50Produced since 1989 from younger Cervognano vineyard parcels, mainly Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Mammolo; all-steel vinification for a fresh, fruit-forward style.
- Poderi Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG€25.00The estate's core wine since the current label's 1968 debut, mainly Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Canaiolo, aged 18 to 24 months in large Allier and Slavonian oak.
- Poderi Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva€42.00Reintroduced from the 2010 vintage after a near 20-year pause, from vineyards at least 20 years old; mainly Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile with a balance of Colorino, aged 28 to 32 months.
- Poderi Boscarelli “Costa Grande” Vino Nobile di Montepulciano€85.00A 100% Sangiovese single-vineyard cru from the 1.5-hectare Vigna Grande, replanted in 2000 with massal selections from Nocio; a separate bottling since the 2015 vintage.
- Poderi Boscarelli “Il Nocio” Vino Nobile di Montepulciano€120.00The estate's flagship, 100% Prugnolo Gentile from the 4-hectare Vigna del Nocio owned since 1988; only about 5,000 bottles made each year.
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- Founded 1962 by Egidio Corradi; Ippolito De Ferrari died in 1983; Paola De Ferrari Corradi took over and hired Maurizio Castelli as consulting enologist 1984; third generation Luca and Nicolò De Ferrari now lead the estate
- Vigna del Nocio = 4 hectares owned since 1988; 100% Prugnolo Gentile; special selections since 1991; about 5,000 bottles a year; aged 18 to 24 months in 5 to 10 hl French and Slavonian oak; estate-recommended drinking window from year 5, decades of aging potential
- Costa Grande = 100% Sangiovese from the 1.5-hectare Vigna Grande, replanted 2000 with Nocio massal selections at 7,000 vines/ha; a separate cru bottling since the 2015 vintage
- Vino Nobile Riserva relaunched from the 2010 vintage after a near 20-year gap (last prior edition 1992); “Sotto Casa” Riserva is a single-vineyard cru blending Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, produced since the 2011 vintage
- Wine Spectator Top 100: Vino Nobile 2016 ranked #39 (2020 list) and Vino Nobile Riserva 2016 ranked #31 (2022 list); Costa Grande 2021 ranked #9 in James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of Italy 2025
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