Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC 2022: The Soul of Abruzzo

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is often filed away as an honest pasta red. La Valentina’s DOC 2022 shows the variety has more to give, without dressing up as a Brunello. Deep ruby with a purple rim, a nose of dark cherry, plum and clove, a palate that comes in soft yet structured.

In the vineyard

• 30 ha organic (ICEA), three districts
• Altitude 150-400 m, slow ripening
• Vines 26-47 years old
• Yield 80 hl/ha, quality-focused
• Hand-harvest from mid-September
• 170,000 bottles per vintage

In the cellar

Ten days of fermentation in stainless steel keeps the fruit clean. Then eighteen months of ageing split between 80% stainless steel and 20% Slavonian oak and second-use barriques. Gentle extraction, no new oak shouting over the fruit.

Tasting note

Classic Montepulciano fruit on the nose: black cherry, plum, blackberry, with Mediterranean herbs, earth and clove behind. A freshness this variety does not always deliver.

The palate is velvety, the tannins supportive rather than biting. Dark fruit threads through herb and earth. Enough backbone for 5-7 years of cellar, approachable enough for tonight.

At the table

• Ragù Bolognese, amatriciana, aglio e olio
• Arrosticini (Abruzzese lamb skewers), grilled chicken, pork tenderloin
• Pizza, especially with tomato and smoked mozzarella
• Aged Pecorino, Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Porchetta, brasato, stews

Final word

A lot of Italian red overplays its hand: too much oak, too much alcohol, too much extraction. La Valentina succeeds by restraint. A weeknight bottle that does not look out of place on a serious evening; fairly priced for the quality.