The wines of Abruzzo in central eastern Italy have received a lot of attention as of late, due to a number of factors. First, the quality of the wines has improved across the board, Secondly, the variety of wine styles have enlarged, so that the primary focus is not on the region’s best-known red these days, but rather on a few intriguing whites and one terrific rosato. Third, more and more producers are crafting more elegant, fruit-driven wines that are pleasing to a wide range of consumers, from younger drinkers looking for wines they can appreciate upon release and work well with food, to veteran wine lovers who can find red and white wines of impressive texture and complexity that have excellent aging potential.
I’ll write about two distinctive white wines from Abruzzo in an upcoming article, but for now, let’s examine the two most important wines in Abruzzo made from Montepulciano, the signature varietal of the region.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – Throughout most of its viticultural history, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has been strongly identified as the region’s leading wine. Produced from the Montepulciano grape, the wine has deep color – often bright purple – with ripe black fruit aromas and flavors and medium-weight tannins that are often round, without the bitterness you might find in more powerful red wines.
While this is a fine starting point, the problem arose with cooperative producers making very simple examples of this wine, products that were typically quite agreeable, but too often lacking complexity; given how many excellent red wines are produced throughout the world, it became clear that these inexpensive offerings of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo would have trouble finding popularity outside the region.
Thankfully, the thinking has changed, as a greater number of producers, both artisan as well as cooperatives, have acted to make more interesting versions of this wine. While there are numerous examples of everyday Montepulciano that offer pleasing blackberry and black plum fruit, there are now more “serious” versions, most famously Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the northern province of Teramo, identified as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG.
These wines are more complex and sometimes need more time in the bottle to display their best qualities, but regardless of the style, many producers will tell you their goal is drinkability sooner than later. “What we’ve done,” comments Nicola Illuminati of the eponymous family winers in Controguerra, “is not to enhance the already powerful characteristic of the wine, but to make it easier to understand and more greatly appreciated by everyone.”
To that end, Illuminati produces multiple styles of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo; ranging from Riparosso, a fruit-driven, medium-bodied style that is so typical of the simple pleasures of this wine (and a great value at around $15 a bottle on retail shelves) to their Colline Teramane Riserva known as Zanna that sells for about $36. Other notable producers, such as also craft different styles of the wine; these include Nicodemi (their Colline Terramane “Le Murate” is as polished and appealing as any I’ve tasted in some time), Masciarelli, whose Villa Gemma offering is a standout, and Contesa, with their Riserva offering.
No mention of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo would be complete without a note about the wines produced by Emidio Pepe. This is the classic Montepulciano, one that offers ideal varietal purity, noteworthy complexity, along with outstanding harmony and structure; examples from the 1960s are still drinking well. The 2015 that I tasted last year displayed sublime aromas of Montmorency cherry, iodine and juniper; in my notes at the time, I wrote that the wine had at least 12-15 years of drinkability ahead of it. If you truly want to understand the greatness of Monepulciano d’Abruzzo, you must try at least one vintage from Emidio Pepe, preferably one that is at least 10-12 years of age. Emidio Pepe is to Montepulciano d’Abruzzo as Angelo Gaja is to Barbaresco – need I say more?
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo – In some ways, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is like many examples of rosé worldwide, in that it is produced from extracting color and flavor from a red grape, in this case, Montepulciano.
But that’s where the similarity ends, as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is a highly distinctive rosé – or rosato, as the term in known in Italy – stylistically apart from the most recognized examples of rosé on the market today. “Cerasuolo is a very important wine,” remarks Chiara Ciavolich of the eponymous family estate in Loreto Aprutino. “Cerasuolo is the wine the real winemakers are proud to make.”
What makes Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo – in the opinion of many wine critics and consumers the finest rosato in Italy – so noteworthy is that the wine offers more body and greater complexity than a typical rosé. While Provence rosé from France has become a phenomenal sales success, due in large part to its light body and easy drinkability, Cerasuolo is a more “serious” rosé if you will; Provence rosé is for sipping poolside, while Cerasuolo is better at the dinner table.
Excellent examples of Cerasuolo are made at some of the finest wine estates in Abruzzo, such as Terraviva (their Giusi offering is a classic version, with its deep cherry color – Cerasuolo means “cherry” – delicious strawberry fruit and a rich, dry finish); Valle Reale (their version ages beautifully, as the wine still has significant character after five years), Torre dei Beati (their Rosa-ae offering has beautiful structure and depth of fruit) and Cataldi Madonna, where two examples are produced: Malandrino and Piè delle Vigne, the latter being slightly richer, a wine that can stand up to pork and veal.
You have a few producers that take Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo to greater heights by vinifying the wine in amphorae; these vessels, often made from terra cotta, are based on the containers used several thousand years ago in the country of Georgia, when wine was first produced.
These vintners use amphorae not only for complexity, but also structure, which greatly aides in aging potential; you probably don’t think about laying away a bottle of rosé, but Cerasuolo in general, thanks in part to it being made from the Montepulciano grape, which guarantees deep color as well as a good deal of tannins, can be aged longer than most rosés.
Two of the best examples of amphorae-aged Cerasuolo are from Francesco Cirelli in Atri, and Ciavolich. The Cirelli version offers great varietal purity and overall harmony, and is a charming wine, while the Ciavolich version named Fosso Cancelli (Ciavolich uses this term for limited production wines), is fuller on the palate with a lengthier, more complex finish. Both wines drink well for at least 3-4 years, while the Ciavolich can age for six or seven years from the finest vintages.
Cerasuolo is quite appealing on its own, but of course, the wine is much better served with food. Ciavolich has her favorites pairings with the wine; “I drink it personally with soups in the winter time, lentils, cereal soups. I drink it with pizza. In Abruzzo, it’s very typical to drink Cerasuolo with fish, with fish soup, with tomato fish soup. With antipasto, with salami, which you can easily pair with Cerasuolo.”