2015 Masciarelli Marina Cvetić Iskra, Italy, Abruzzo, Colline Teramane DOCG, Wine Review

This is made from a single vineyard of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Gianni Masciarelli and Marina Cvetic are a husband and wife team in southern Italy (she is from Serbia). Purple in color with ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cherries, some black cherries, smoke and thyme. Medium to full bodied. Medium tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, this has some depth and complexity. Flavors of cherries with thyme and anise. A bit of char. Good finish. This is nice on its own but better with food. Lasagna or a Beef Ragu would work well. Drink over the next five to eight years.

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Vintage:

2015

Current Price:

$35.00USD

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: A Wonderful Red Wine from the Region of Abruzzo

Heading due east from Rome lays the region of Abruzzo. This is a historically poor region whose people inhabit the hills and mountains so prevalent in the province. The people are proud and independent. They resemble the peoples of Italy’s southern regions in attitude and aptitude. Likewise the food and wine cultures reflect that lack of affluence centered on a hard working community. The hillsides are excellent for viticulture. The most popular red grape is the Montepulciano although many other grapes are grown here most notably Sangiovese.

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

Vintage:

2019

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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.

Le Marche's Le Terrazze: Bob Dylan, Chaos & Some Great Italian Wines

Le Marche (pronounced lay Mar-kay) is a region in central Italy that borders the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Apennines to the west. Le Marche borders Emilia-Romagna to the north, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio to the west, and Abruzzi to the south. The terrain is mostly hills and mountains once you get away from the coast. The area has a long history matching most of the historic conquests of Italy: it was occupied by the Gaul’s, colonized by the Romans, later it was invaded by the Goths and Lombard’s, then by Charlemagne. It was then mostly a papal state before finally being annexed in the mid-1800’s by the kingdom of Italy.

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

Vintage:

2015

Score:

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

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

Vintage:

2018

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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

2015 Masciarelli Marina Cvetić Iskra, Italy, Abruzzo, Colline Teramane DOCG, Wine Review

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