Winemakers in many countries will tell you that the best drink comes from berries, the vines of which have been growing in the land for a long time. Of course, in the modern world there is a fashion for French varieties: merlot, chardonnay, cabernet and sauvignon. But let us leave them to areas where grapes have not been traditionally grown: Chile, New Zealand, California. In Italy, growing French vines, accustomed to a cool and rainy climate, is a waste of time and effort. Therefore, the country continues to cultivate varieties known even in ancient Rome. These are "Sangiovese" ("blood of Jupiter") and "Montepulciano".
The latter will be devoted to our article. We will consider the interesting history of the variety, and also advise you which wine Montepulciano choose. Vines are cultivated all over the east coast of Italy: in Molise, Marche, Puglia to the very south, Lazio and Umbria. But where does this variety manifest itself especially brightly and nobly?
Little confusion in the names
The grape variety and the drink made from it have nothing to do with the small town of Montepulciano in Tuscany, a province on the west coast of Italy. This village was founded by the Etruscan king Lars Persenna. Since then, the inhabitants of Mont-Mercury (which was later renamed Mont-Politianus) were engaged in winemaking. The fruit of their labors was at the beginning of the twentieth century a noble drink, which glorified the city. “Nobile (aristocratic) from Montepulciano” - this name was given to him by the master Adam Fanetti. And in the year nineteen eighty this wine received the highest classification in Italy - DOCG.
The drink is certainly very good, frankly, excellent. With one caveat: the wine "Nobile di Montepulciano" is made from Sangiovese berries, produced only in the Tuscan town. In our article, we will talk about the grape variety and wine obtained from its berries - "Montepulciano".
Drink history
Even Pliny the Elder mentioned that wonderful grapes are grown in the mountainous region of Abruzzo. It is believed that the homeland of the variety is the Valley of Pelinha, located in the heart of the mountainous region. This variety likes a dry, hot climate and slightly clay soils on the hillsides.
The very first record of him in historical documents refers to one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two. Michele Torcia, archivist of King Ferdinand the Fourth, noted that in Sulmona (Valle Peligna) they make excellent wine from a local grape variety. He and now planted more than half of the cultivated area in the region - thirty-five thousand hectares.
Around the end of the nineteenth century, berries began to be grown in the coastal regions of Abruzzo. There the drink got a new sound. And when the classification of drinks was adopted in Italy in 1968, the Montepulciano wine received the first DOC (Montepulciano d'Abruzzo). The variety gained particular popularity in the country after the end of World War II.
Requirements for DOC wines
The wine zone does not cover the entire mountain range of Abruzzo, but only four small regions: Teramo, Pescara, L'Aquila and Chieti. Good Montepulciano wine should meet the following criteria:
- planting vines should not exceed a height of five hundred meters above sea level (600 m is allowed on the southern slopes);
- grapes should not grow in lowlands.
The DOC is divided into five subregions: Terre di Casauria, dei Vestini, Alto Tirino, Peligny and Teate. In these subzones, wine production is regulated according to special rules. Up to two thousand and ten, the DOC also included rosé wines. They were made with the addition of Montepulciano red grapes. Now pink wines from Abruzzo are allocated in a separate DOC Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo.
It is worth saying that the taste of berries and a drink is affected primarily by the climate that the mountains and the close proximity of the sea form. Clay soils are also of great importance.
Wine "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo"
What is the most exquisite drink from this mountainous region? In the two thousand and third year, such a special terroir was found. This is a small territory in the north of Abruzzo, which was allocated in DOCG (the highest classification of wines in Italy). It is called Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane. Wines from this territory are only red and often monosortovye.
Drinks from the Terre di Casauria subzone are 100% Montepulciano. In Dei Vestini and Teat, the addition of other varieties is allowed no more than 10%, and in Alto Tirino - 5%.
Montepulciano begins to sell table red wine in the spring of the year following the harvest. Vintage drinks are aged up to eighteen months. Moreover, three quarters of the time the wines mature in barrels, and then they are still bottled in cool cellars. Monosortovye and assembly drinks from Terre Peligni have the longest exposure - two years. Of these, they spend nine months in barrels.
Specifications
Montepulciano is a wine that has its own exceptional character. It is difficult to confuse with other varieties. This wine has a rich dark ruby color. Its taste is elegant with perfectly balanced acidity and a mild manifestation of tannins. In a fresh, deep and self-sufficient bouquet, notes of ripe black cherries, plums, warm spices with nuances of tobacco and black olives are felt. In a long and languid finish, shades of mulberry and dried fruit against the background of cocoa play. These wines are usually served with gourmet game dishes from game or red meat, pasta, expensive cheeses, and dried sausages.
Montepulciano wine: famous brands
We start the review with table drinks. A bottle of “Tini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo” harvest of two thousand and fifteen will be a good accompaniment for a meal of pasta carbonara or meat dishes. The price is four hundred and forty rubles for 0.75 liters. The cost of drinks differs markedly depending on the manufacturer.
The same young wine of 2015 "Fontegia Montepulciano d'Abruzzo" is almost 1.5 times more expensive and costs 590 p. If the price of a thousand rubles does not scare you, try the brand "Podere". Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva will become a gorgeous gift and real joy for gourmets. This drink is produced by the family company "Masharelli Marina Cvetić" (Masciarelli Marina Cvetić). The drink is classified as DOC. He is especially good from grapes harvested two thousand and eleven.