Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOCG Riserva

Red

Abv 15.0%

Serving Temp. 18-20 °C | Storage Temp. 13-15 °C

The ancient origin of the Montepulciano grape seems to be common to many other black berry types of southern Italy, all clearly derived from Greece. The Carthaginian leader Hannibal had great appreciation for the wine produced in the Aprutzi (Abruzzo), as he used it to reinvigorate men and horses while he kept the Romans at bay for many years,
The vine originates from the Peligna Valley in central Abruzzo, southern Italy, as confirmed by the historian Michele Troia back in the 18th century, much earlier than when the Tuscan origins of the grape were claimed. In this area the vine has easily adapted to the environmental variations and spread to its neighbouring territories and in most of the Abruzzo region.
The dispute over the paternity of the name Montepulciano has been going on for more than two centuries, between the Abruzzesi and the winemakers of the town of Montepulciano, in Tuscany. The confusion was due to the similarity in some of the vines characteristics, and their ability to produce similar wines. It was later confirmed though that the primitive Montepulciano from Tuscany was a clone of the Sangiovese Grosso, while the late harvest grape of the Abruzzi created more structured wines, long-lived and full of scents and colour. So the Montepulciano D’Abruzzo has no connection with the Nobile di Montepulciano wine (named after the town of Montepulciano where it is made), but simply takes its name from the grape variety it is produced with.

The grapes are hand picked in late October, de-stemmed and placed in cement tanks. Within two hours from the harvest the crushed grapes start the fermentation at controlled temperature, with peaks reaching 30 °C. At the end of the fermentation, the maceration continues for another month, with the daily handling of the mass through manual “reassembly”. This long and slow process on the lees is necessary to guarantee all the essential flavours and characteristics are extracted from the grapes.  After racking the wine is left to “rest” for a minimum of 6 months in steel tanks, to allow its natural evolution and then matured in large oak barrels for further 24 to 36 months. A final bottle ageing takes place for about a year.

The result of this clean and patient work is a structured Montepulciano Riserva, complex in aromas and body, of impenetrable ruby colour which, despite the eight years from the harvest, still has no hints of garnet hues. The nose is immersed in a mixture of plum jam and sour cherries, balsamic and minty notes, and again dark chocolate, liquorice, light leather and tobacco. The tannin is perfectly integrated, highlighting the incredible balance of acidity and balsamic flow that elevates the wine to a considerable level, while the fusion of red fruits and spices will surround the palate.

For La Quercia the Montepulciano Riserva Mastrobono is the symbol of a new friendship, one rediscovered and others confirmed, where good winemaking techniques and proper maturing time are at the heart of their tradition. The name “Mastrobono” is a tribute to Mastro Melchiorre Bono, an Abruzzese stonemason, a minor artist, little known as many others, but instrumental in the enrichment of the culture of the territory.