Montepulciano - a rustic variety in a modern style

Montepulciano is one of the most popular Italian varieties, known mainly in Abruzzo. It can give great wines: light and fruity when young, serious and structured after a few years of aging.

Enthusiasts all over the world appreciate its characteristic taste which consists of low acidity, aromas of intense fruits and delicate tannins.

The dominant aromas in montepulciano wine are ripe plums, cherries, mulberry fruits, sweet cherries, blackberries and sometimes also aromas of smoke, herbs and spices. If the wine is intended to be drunk when young, the fruit character will be juicier and the notes will be earthier and more delicate.

Montepulciano is often called a rustic grape due to its outstanding potential for maturation in barrels. Experienced producers can turn this variety into real works of art.

Montepulciano, like the sangiovese variety, tends to give abundant harvests. Over-cropping makes the wine light and unsuitable for prolonged ageing. The grapes can be plump and have a low skin-to-juice ratio.

Motepulciano has a large amount of pigmented tannins and colouring phenols in the skins, which is why it benefits from reduced harvest. This is a philosophy that is naturally applied in the Barossa Valley - due to low rainfall during the ripening season, the vines produce smaller harvests, but result in wine with a richer and deeper colour and aroma.

Another feature of Monteulciano is its relatively low acidity and mild structure. The wine is soft and velvety.

It pairs perfectly with satiating Polish and Mediterranean dishes such as spicy sausages, roasted and stewed meats, pizza and pastas based on rich tomato sauces.

Worth knowing!

Montepulciano d'abruzzo is the name of the vine, and vino nobile di montepulciano is the so-called noble wine of Montepulciano, a charming village in Tuscany, where the world-famous wine is traditionally made predominantly from sangiovese varieties, locally called as prugnolo.