Masciarelli Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 2019

Cellar for up to 8 years. No need to decant before serving. Gianni Masciarelli is regarded as one of the fathers of Abruzzo’s modern winemaking scene thanks to his visionary work in the village of San Martino sulla Marrucina in Chieti. After spending a summer in Champagne Gianni returned home inspired by French winemaking techniques and convinced that he could make top quality wines in Abruzzo. The project began with just 5 acres of vines set around his grandfather’s old house, and today the estate has some 900 acres spread across Abruzzo’s four provinces. Such is the quality and attention to detail at Masciarelli that their wines have won a total of 29 prestigious Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso. This charming Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva is from their Marina Cvetic series which was created by Gianni in 1991 in honour of his wife who today runs the estate along with his oldest daughter, Miriam. It enjoys a cult following around the globe with wine lovers and was even included by Wine Spectator in their “World Top 100”. The grapes for this wine are grown in San Martino sulla Marrucina at 400 metres above sea level and are harvested at optimum ripeness in mid-October. In the winery the fruit is fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged in new French oak barrels for 12-18 months depending on the vintage. The result is an elegantly layered Montepulciano which opens with plenty of ripe fruit and hints of spice and woodsmoke which linger long on the tongue. On the palate there’s a generous full body, well-rounded tannins and velvety smooth texture.

Price: £28.04 from 8wines UK