2016 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne Selezione, Italy, Abruzzo, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$120.00USD

One of the truly great white wines in the world IMO.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has granny smith apples, dried green apples, and ginger.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is deep.  Flavors of green apples with some spice.  Layers of depth.  Long finish.  This is a white wine that really grabs one's attention.  Long finish.  It should drink well for another ten years.  Great on its own, but better with food. It would be a great match with Spaghetti alla Chitarra.

2018 Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva Villa Gemma, Italy, Abruzzo, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$98.00USD

This is Masciarelli's top bottling.  15% abv.   Inky indigo in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight on opening but after about an hour, it opens nicely.  Notes of black cherries, clay, dried cherries, dark chocolate and black pepper.  A bit of sweet black raspberries come out with more air.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Polished texture.  Well balanced.  On the palate, black cherries with some char.  With air, chocolate notes come out.  Some black licorice on the finish.  Complex and deep if young.  This needs some time (or a long decant).  Ideally, cellar for five more years and dr

2019 Masciarelli Marina Cvetić Riserva, Italy, Abruzzo, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$38.00USD

This is one of the "middle" offerings from Masciarelli.  It is made from 100% Montepulciano grapes from Abruzzo.  14.5% abv.  Deep garnet in color with a purple core, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, black licorice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries and black raspberries with underlying char.  Delicious.  Long, smooth finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work nice with grilled meats such as Lamb Chops.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

2022 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Superiore, Italy, Abruzzo, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$24.00USD

This is a Rosé wine made from 100% Montepulciano grapes.  14% abv.  Pale garnet in color, clear and bright.  Very pretty in the glass.  Likewise, a very pretty nose with cherries, rhubarb, dry earth and the slightest celery seed note.  Nice texture.  Medium bodied.  Great acidity which keeps the wine lively and food friendly.  Light tannins.  The palate has cherry cough drop notes along with a slight touch of smoke.  Some warmth on the finish.  This is nice on its own but really begs for food.  it would work well with pasta but also it would be nice with slow cooked Chicken dishes (Paprikas

2022 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Abruzzo Bianco DOC, Italy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$24.00USD

There seem to be a lot of references to this wine as coming from Colline Teatine IGT, but the bottle states Abruzzo Bianco DOC.  It is a blend of 50% Trebbiano, 30% Pecorino, and 20% Cococciola.  Golden in color with silver hues, clear and bright.  The nose has lots of minerality, some lemon notes and a hint of floral tones.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate apples, tart apples and minerality.  Deep.  Long finish.  This is an excellent white wine that would be double or triple the price if the label was from a more "prestigious" area.  

2018 Strappelli Soprano Colli Aprutini IGT, Italy, Abruzzo, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This is 100% Pecorino grapes from Abruzzo, Italy.  Golden in color clear and bright.  The nose has lemons, minerality/chalk and slight tropical fruits.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, some crisp green apple notes at the start with some tropical fruits on the finish.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This seems to be near the end of its fruit, but still providing enjoyment.  Younger vintages are likely to have more fruit.  Nice on its own, this worked better with a bit of cheese.  It would be nice with seafood.  Drink now.  Excellent value.

2020 Borgo Reale Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Kosher for Passover), Italy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$14.00USD

This is a Kosher for Passover version of this wine.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has dust, cherries, slight plums and spice.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, nice cherry fruit.  Easy drinking.  Moderate finish.  This wine needs food and worked well with Eggplant Parmesan.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

2019 Poggio Anima Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Samael, Italy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$15.00USD

This is an interesting 100% Montepulciano D'abruzzo.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is filled with cherries and some balsamic vinegar.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the cherries come thru along with some tart acidity.  Like most Italian wines, this begs for some food.  Spaghetti alla Chitarra with a nice meat sauce would work well.  Drink over the next few years.  At $15, this is a very nice value and makes for a nice bottle with a weekday dinner.  

2010 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$150.00USD

From one of the most iconic wineries in Italy, this wine transcends the lowly status of Montepulciano d'Aruzzo.  This is still young but with a decant of about 45 minutes it opened nicely.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  What a nose!  Cherries, black cherries, anise, Indian spices and slight black pepper.  Full bodied with a lush texture.  Perfect balance.  On the palate, this is tight but unwinds in the glass as each sip reveals something else.  Black cherries, cumin, cherries, slight floral notes over a clean earthiness.  Long finish.  Delicious.  We left a glass for our w

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