Abruzzo

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.  

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

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

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.  

This is a crisp white made from organically grown Pecorino grapes.  Light pale gold in color, but bright.  The nose is crisp with a nice salinity.  Also, red apples and a bit of ginger.  On the palate, this has a lovely underlying minerality with the acidity carrying thru.  There is some apple fruit as well.  Nice mouthfeel.  Long finish.  This will go well with sea food and vegetarian dishes.  It also will make nice summertime drinking.  Drink up in the next year or so.

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

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. 

Citra is a collection of 3,000 growers who came together to form a winery, so basically a co-op.  Terre di Chieti is a growing area in Abruzzo that has yet to achieve DOC(G) status.  This is a charming red wine that is inexpensive and ready to drink.  The bottle is screw capped.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries and leather.  There is also a sweaty horse scent which I enjoyed.  It is warm and earthy and in the back ground so not over powering.  On the palate, this has a soft texture.  It is earthy but clean with nice cherries.  Slightly drying tan

This is a nice inexpensive white wine from the region of Abruzzo.  It is made with the Trebbiano grape.  Pale, silvery copper in color.  The nose has citrus (grapefruit and orange) with slight mint.  On the palate, this has a nice mouthfeel.  Pink grapefruit flavors.  Tart.  It actually has some slight tannins.  Long finish.  This will be great at a party.  it will go well with salads and pasta dishes as well well as fish or fowl.  The screw cap will help it maintain its freshness but it should be drunk now.  

This is under $10 per bottle so it is a fair value.  Purple in color.  The nose has dark cherries and slight hay notes.  On the palate, this is a bit sweet with black cherry fruit.  Easy drinking.  Enough acidity to work with food.  Clean.  Nice for a party or Italian bistro.  Casual fun.