A focus on MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO

Bob Paulinski, Master of Wine discusses his visit to Abruzzo. For me, Abruzzo is Italy's most undervalued wine region. It's a place primed to garner a lot more attention. Specifically the focus in this video will focus on Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. One of the best wine bargains in the world. While I’ve been to Italy many times, this video details my first trip to this specific region.

I was with a group of journalists from the US and Canada. The trip itinerary was set by the organizing group with the regional Consorzio, so I had to go with the flow. There was no rest for the wary, after 15 hours plus of air travel, the group gathered at the airport in Rome and the new day started full speed ahead.

During the trip I tasted a few hundred wines, while I have a better appreciation Trebbiano, Pecorino, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo but for me, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo draws the most interest. If there was ever a grape variety that deserved more recognition, this is it.

The labelling is rather straightforward, Montepulciano refers to the grape variety and Abruzzo being the place of origin. The wines must be at least 85% Montepulciano, but the reality is many are 100% The wine also conform to grape yield guidelines and minimum % content. Some of the subzones have more restrictive rules. And there are reserva wines which have their separate guidelines. The region produces more than 22M cases of wine per year, that ranks 7th in Italy. The wines will range start at under $10 US to $200+ per bottle, with the majority being in the $15 to $30 range in the US.

Why is Abruzzo not better known?
1) A long history of making cheap entry level wines has weighed on the region’s reputation, driven largely by co-ops
2) It doesn’t have the tourist draw of places like Tuscany, Veneto or even Campania with Rome
3) The primary grape variety, Montepulciano is often confused with the place of Montepulciano in Tuscany Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or Rosso di Montepulciano.
4) It’s difficult to know what you’re getting in terms of style

What’s changing in Abruzzo
1) Increased focus on quality is apparent, ticking all of the right boxes, low yields, attention to detail attempt to bring attention to better sites, plenty of clonal diversity
2) More focus on eco-friendly, vineyard health embrace as a way of life, its not a marketing thing
3) There’s plenty of news stories about the aging population within Italy, we encountered a good of young people in key roles within the wineries. This bodes well for the future.

MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO TO SEARCH OUT BY STYLES (CA PRICING USD$)
Lightweight/Entry Level
2021 Galasso Filari (tasted in the video) $5!
2021 Nicodemi Le Murate (Colline Teramane DOCG) $18
2020 Cataldi Madonna “Girovago” $21

Mid-range
2019 Masciarelli (tasted in the video), $9 at Costco, $14 is typical
2022 Zaccagnini (dal tralcetto', vine clip bottle) DOC $16
2021 Cataldi Madonna Malandrino $24

Full/more concentrated
2021 Miglianco Montupoli (tasted in the video, the style is between the mid and full) $24
2018 Illuminati Riserva Zanna $25
2018 Zaccagnini St Clemente Reserva $37
Edimio Pepe, any bottling will be outstanding, tiny production, expensive, the style will vary from mid to full

This was the single largest tasting of Abruzzo wines that I had ever attended. It was walk around event that provided a chance to taste extensively from throughout the region. Along the way I spent time with fellow wine Youtuber, Matthew Horkey. At the trade event, I tasted over 100 wines from over 35 different producers. Then, I attended a MasterClass, I had hoped to get clarity on the wine styles as there is a high degree of variability. In general terms, there are wines sourced from flatter sites near the sea and then others from hilly inland sites. There are lighter versions that bring primary fruit, mid weight that have greater concentration and finally weightier, fuller styles. In terms of winemaking, some are out concrete vats, an old technique that’s back in fashion, but also stainless steel, amphoras, as is old large neutral oak barrels and increasingly smaller French oak for the most tricked out versions.

Broadly speaking, the wines can be split into one of three categories.
Entry level, some are built to a price point, others actually have a good bit of character. The poorer versions come from the warmer sites are harvested quite early for a late ripening variety. In this case, the fruit has good sugar levels to be converted to alcohol, but there’s a greenness to the wines due to the lack of phenolic ripeness. Lighter versions, fruity, red fruit, lighter bodied 12.0% to 12.5%. Mid-level, more weight and concentration, some with a degree of oak influence, med scrub aroma. High-level, best sites, low yields, often older vines, with a varying degree of oak from little to pronounced.

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