Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

History and origin

Wine in Abruzzo has a long history: the Abruzzo wine consortium recalls references by ancient authors, from Polybius to Ovid. Until the Renaissance the vineyards were concentrated mainly in the Valle Peligna, in the L'Aquila area; after the unification of Italy winegrowing changed quickly, and in recent decades it has specialised and shifted to the best-suited hills, those near the sea.

Montepulciano has been firmly documented in Abruzzo since the mid-eighteenth century. Today it is the region's most widely grown grape: it accounts for more than half of the planted varieties, covers about seventeen thousand hectares and has made up most new plantings in recent years.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a designation of origin entered in the European register and protected by the consortium together with the region's other DOC wines. In the Teramo hills the grape also has a separate designation, Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, entitled to DOCG status since the 2003 vintage.

Sources: Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo — Il territorio · Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo — Vini tutelati · eAmbrosia — Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (PDO-IT-A0723) · eAmbrosia — Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (PDO-IT-A0876)

Area and method of production

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is red only and is made in many municipalities in the provinces of Chieti, L'Aquila, Pescara and Teramo. At least 85% of the grapes are Montepulciano; the rest may come from other non-aromatic red varieties allowed in Abruzzo. The wine may not be sold before 1 February of the year after the harvest.

The designation has nine sub-zones, each with its own rules: Casauria or Terre di Casauria, Terre dei Vestini, Alto Tirino, Terre dei Peligni, Teate, Terre di Chieti, Terre Aquilane or Terre de L'Aquila, Colline Pescaresi and San Martino sulla Marruccina. In these versions the share of Montepulciano rises to 90-100% and ageing is longer: Casauria, for example, needs at least eighteen months, nine of them in wood, plus six months in bottle.

Most vineyards use the pergola abruzzese training system, while new plantings mostly use rows.

Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOP · Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo — Il territorio

How to recognise it

In the glass Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a deep ruby red, with light violet tints when young, turning towards garnet with age.

The nose is intense, ethereal, floral and fruity, with hints of red berries and spice. On the palate it is full, balanced and slightly tannic.

The basic version is ready from 1 February after the harvest. The sub-zones add the place of origin to the name and often a longer maturation: the Riserva versions of Casauria, Terre dei Vestini, Teate or Terre dei Peligni spend at least nine months in wooden vessels and stay in the cellar for two years or more before reaching the table.

Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOP

Where to taste it

Montepulciano is grown throughout the region, but most of Abruzzo's vineyards are on the hills of the province of Chieti, about three quarters of the total; Pescara and Teramo follow, then L'Aquila. Many grapes go to co-operative wineries, alongside numerous private estates that bottle under their own name.

The consortium gathers visiting options in Abruzzo Wine Experience: itineraries, cellar experiences and tastings, and more than two hundred places of taste and sites of historical, artistic, cultural and natural interest.

The names of the sub-zones are already an itinerary: from Teate around Chieti to the Terre dei Peligni in the Sulmona valley, from the Colline Pescaresi to Casauria. In the Teramo area the hills of the Colline Teramane DOCG complete the journey through the region's red wines.

Sources: Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo — Il territorio · Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo — Enoturismo, Abruzzo Wine Experience · eAmbrosia — Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (PDO-IT-A0876)

Protection

• DOC, PDO wine — PDO-IT-A0723 (eAmbrosia — Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (PDO-IT-A0723))
• DOCG, PDO wine — PDO-IT-A0876 (eAmbrosia — Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (PDO-IT-A0876))

When

• The sources consulted give no months.

Where

Abruzzo

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