Skip to main content 

Welcome to…
That Useful Wine Site

  Wine explained, clearly and helpfully, including critic-recommended specimens of each variety.

(click for menu)
bottles grapes glasses barrels
You are here:  Home  »  varietals  »  reds  »   ( = this page)
(Click on any image above to see it at full size.)
You are here:  Home  »  varietals  »  reds  »   ( = this page)

You can get a site directory by clicking on the “hamburger” icon () in the upper right of this page.
Or you can search this site with Google (standard Google-search rules apply).
(Be aware that “sponsored” links to other sites will appear atop the actual results.)

Search term(s):





Welcome to That Useful Wine Site!

You have apparently come to this page from a link on a search engine or another site. If this is your first visit here, I much recommend that you take a few minutes to look over the introductory material accessible via the blue “Introductory” zone of the Site Menu available from the “hamburger” icon in the upper right of this (and every) page. An understanding of the purposes and principles of organization of this site will, I hope and believe, much augment your experience here, for this page and in general. You can simply click this link to get at the site front page, which, unsurprisingly, is the best place to start. Thank you for visiting.

The Montepulciano Grape


Quick page jumps:


About Montepulciano

(Synonyms: Africano, Angolano, Montepulciano Cordisco, Montepulciano Spargolo, Morellone, Sangiovese Cordisco, Uva Abbruzzese, Violone)

Background

Map showing the Abruzzo region of Italy

Montepulciano is a red-wine grape originating in the Abruzzo region of Italy, a region that encompasses four provinces, all of which produce Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines. Italian wine law permits up to a maximum of 15% of Sangiovese to be blended in Montepulciani.

The ultimate origin of the grape is unsure, but a good bet would be Tuscany, and it is thought to possibly be related to Sangiovese (the informing grape of Tuscany). Today, Montepulciano is grown to at least some extent throughout almost all but the most northerly and most southerly parts of Italy, though it is a secondary grape outside its home in the Abruzzo. Gluttons for punishment can review a list of the appellations in which Montepulciano can appear in wines.

Montepulciano makes satisfactory wines at all points on the price spectrum, from eminently drinkable bottles at five dollars (sometimes even less) up to prized gems well into the three-digit price range. We like to quote wine writer Loren Sonkin on this:

The fact of the matter is that I have never tasted a poor Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The grape lends itself to making quality wines at every price point. If you see a bottle in the grocery store, try it.

Simpler (read “less expensive”) Montepulciani are made for early drinking, and so have relatively low tannin levels and (especially for Italian reds) low levels of acid; the bigger ones can bottle-age to their benefit for a decade or two. Typical Montepulciano characteristics are a deep color, rich body, and an earthy, almost “rustic” quality, meaning strongly aromatic of dark fruits (meaning much more of, say, blackberry than of strawberry or even cherry) and with a distinct note of spiciness and perhaps the usual suspects for big-bodied reds, leather and tar. A well-made but inexpensive Montepulciano (not an oxymoron) is one of the best wine buys available.

There are official quality levels of Montepulciani. Basic wines require five months minimum aging; Vecchio bottlings, a step up, require an extra two years of aging on oak. There is also a “Riserva” designation, requiring three years total aging with at least six months on oak. Wines designated “Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane” (a legal appellation) are regarded as especially fine specimens.

Factoid: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has no connection to the Sangiovese-based wines “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano” or “Rosso di Montepulciano”, which are named after the town, but made from different grapes. There will be a quiz in the morning.

Return to the page top. ↑


Some Descriptions of Montepulciano Wines

Return to the page top. ↑


Some Montepulciano Bottlings to Try

(About this list.)

  Wines with a critics’ consensus score of 96:
Verga "La Storia 1895" Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]

  Wines with a critics’ consensus score of 90:
Colle Corviano Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Idi di Marzo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
La Valentina "Spelt" Montepulciano Riserva   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]

  Wines with a critics’ consensus score of 89:
Bruno Nicodemi "Notari" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Campi Valerio "Calidio" Molise Rosso   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Cataldi Madonna Malandrino Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Fratelli Barba "Yang" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Fratelli Barba I Vasari "Old Vines" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Frentana Rubesto Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Jasci Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
La Quercia Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Marchesi de Cordano Aida Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Masseria Coste di Brenta Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Pietrame "Edizione Limitata" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Poggio Anima "Samael" Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Terra d'Aligi "Tatone" Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Tiberio Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Torre Zambra "Colle Maggio" Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Torre Zambra "Madia" Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Valle Reale Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Velenosi "Prope" Montepulciano   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]

Return to the page top. ↑




Disclaimers  |  Privacy Policy


All content copyright © 2024 The Owlcroft Company
(excepting quoted material, which is believed to be Fair Use).

This web page is strictly compliant with the WHATWG (Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group) HyperText Markup Language (HTML5) Protocol versionless “Living Standard” and the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) Cascading Style Sheets (CSS3) Protocol v3  — because we care about interoperability. Click on the logos below to test us!




This page was last modified on Sunday, 8 December 2024, at 9:46 pm Pacific Time.