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

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

2007 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy, Abruzzi, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$200.00USD

The vast majority of wines from Abruzzi are quaffable/forgettable inexpensive red wines.  This is neither of those.  Emidio Pepe is one of the great producers of wine in Italy.  His red and white wines are both expensive and sublime.  They can age for decades.  This 2007 is just beginning to hit full maturity.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is complex with cherries, black cherries, baking spices, slight tarragon, and tar.  Dull bodied.  A strong streak of acidity (this is Italy).  Full bodied.  On the palate, layers of cherries and black cherries with underlying tar

2019 Art of Earth Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
86
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This is an inexpensive Montepulciano from Italy.  It is made from certified organic grapes and comes in a screw capped bottle.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries and warm earthiness.  On the palate, this has sour cherries with firm tannins.  Moderate acidity.  It finishes with plums and slightly bitter almond notes.  Consumed over three days, this was best on day one and two and then fell off.  It is easy drinking but works better with food than on its own.  A great choice for pizza or burgers.  This is a nice value although it pays to shop around.  

2015 Gianni Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Marina Cvetić Riserva, Italy,

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

There is a wide range in style and quality for MdA's.  This is one of the better ones that is still affordable.  This took about thirty minutes to really open but then drank quite well.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries and plums with some clove notes.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cherries, slight sour cherries with a strong backbone of acidity.  There is some depth and complexity though not a lot.  It begs for food and worked with a lasagna in bechamel sauce though perhaps a tomato sauce would work better.  It drinks ok on its own although the acidity stands out.  It probably

2017 Citra Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy, Abruzzo, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$8.00USD

Citra is a collection of farmers in Abruzzo who got together to form a winery.  They make a variety of wines that are inexpensive yet enjoyable.  This is screw capped.  It has a deep garnet color.  The nose has cherries, candied cherries, smoke and a bit of spice.  On the palate, it's more cherries and sour cherries with some spice.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  An easy drinking wine that is priced well.  Made to drink now.  Will work well with pizza, pasta or burgers. 

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