Winemaker Notes
Montepulciano is one of the most widespread indigenous varieties in Italy, and is cultivated predominently along the Adriatic side of the peninsula. The Umani Ronchi version of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is intended to be an interpretation of this vine which aims to exalt its varietal characteristics and its freshness, combining these qualities with just the right amount of charm and softness. The result is a very pleasant and drinkable wine which goes with many different kinds of dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This tasty red begins with intense aromas of blood orange, juiced red cherry, tobacco and thyme. There’s ample concentration to these tones on the medium bodied palate, with fresh acidity and soothing tannins framing it all. This is a solid weekday red to enjoy solo or alongside pizza, pasta and other casual fare. Best Buys
Montepulciano is the second most planted red variety in Italy after Sangiovese, though it is achieves its highest potential in the region of Abruzzo. Consistently enticing and enjoyable, Montepulciano enjoys great popularity throughout central and southern Italy as well. A tiny bit grows with success in California, Argentina and Australia. Somm Secret—Montepulciano is also the name of a village in Tuscany where, confusingly, they don’t grow the Montepulciano grape at all! Sangiovese shines in yet another Tuscan village, here making the reputable wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
A warm, Mediterranean vine-growing paradise, in Abruzzo, the distance from mountains to seaside is relatively short. The Apenniness, which run through the center of Italy, rise up on its western side while the Adriatic Sea defines its eastern border.
Wine composition tends to two varieties: Abruzzo’s red grape, Montepulciano and its white, Trebbiano. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can come in a quaffable, rustic and fruity style that generally drinks best young. It is also capable of making a more serious style, where oak aging tames its purely wild fruit.
Trebbiano in Abruzzo also comes in a couple of varieties. Trebbiano Toscana makes a simple and fruity white. However when meticulously tended, the specific Trebbiano d’Abruzzo-based white wines can be complex and long-lived.
In the region’s efforts to focus on better sites and lower yields, vine acreage has decreased in recent years while quality has increased.