Deep ruby color; dark fruits, blackberry, dark cherry, raspberry, plum, blackcurrant, mocha, earth, smoke, leather, oak spice on the nose and palate.
Dry; reserved, graceful tannins and mild acidity after four years; this is made to drink relatively young. Medium body. Straightforward red wine—100% montepulciano—from major maker in Abruzzo. All grapes are estate grown—Masciarelli owns vineyards in all four Abruzzo provinces. This is the entry-level effort and succeeds very nicely for that niche. Simple, easy drinker. Restrained alcohol good for everyday food wine. 13.5% ABV
Montepulciano is classic grape of central Italy, most prominently in Abruzzo, where this wine is made. This wine is 100% montepulciano, the major grape in the Abruzzo region of eastern Italy, two driving hours east of Rome. The Apennine Mountains are the western border, the Adriatic Sea the eastern border. The story is you can ski in the mountains in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon.
The Masciarelli family is notable for putting Abruzzo on the fine wine map. Prior to Gianni Masciarelli’s influence, montepulicano grapes often were pushed for quantity over quality. Gianni had a different vision. His widow Marina Cvetić and daughter Miriam Lee Masciatelli have admirably continued that upward trajectory. From a relatively small beginning—five acres of vines in 1981, Masciarelli now farms 60 distinct parcels in all four provinces in Abruzzo—Chieti, Pescara, Teramo, l’Aquila—the only maker in Abruzzo that can make that claim. The wide selection of fruit gives the team impressive flexibility in fashioning their outstanding blends. They produce more than 2.5 million bottles each year, and sell more than half of that production in the United States.
There is a Tuscan town (75 miles southeast of Florence) named Montepulciano where very highly valued Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made—but that red wine does not use montepulciano grapes, it uses sangiovese. That famous red wine gets its name because it only is made in the town of that name. Surely you are not surprised wine can be so confusing, especially in the Old World.
Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Red Wine DOC 2020: Very serviceable, entry-level introduction to the rich, red montepulciano grape from renowned Abruzzo maker. Dark fruits, reserved tannins and acidity makes for easy drinker that will not wow nor disappoint. Especially nice at its price point. Also works as the second or third bottle at a rollicking, lighthearted evening with friends as the grill cools and the stars start to twinkle. Pair with beef, veal, pork; pasta dishes with tomato-based sauces; barbecue chicken shines as weekday slurper with comfort food—pizza, meatloaf, mac and cheese, burgers and sliders, spaghetti and meatballs, grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, chili dishes. Cheese—parmesan, asiago, mature cheddar, pecorino, ricotta, stracchino served on focaccia flatbread. $13-15
