I fell in love with Montepulciano while traveling in Italy. Believe it or not, my first sip was during a flight of Italian wines on the cruise ship that was carting me around the Mediterranean. It was the last in the line up, but the one I remember most. But, like the Croatian wine I talked about, since that trip I really haven’t had much of the varietal. And, again, it was my good friends John and Irene Ingersoll who write and sell at topochines.com who were able to take me back to that magical place via the gift of wine.
About the Wine: The Vinum 2016 Montepulciano is made from 100% Montepulciano nero grapes harvested from the Nocciano vineyards in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
13% ABV
Flavor Profile: Open the bottle of the The Vinum 2016 Montepulciano and breathe in aromas of black cherries at night — they’ve fallen onto the dampened soil. As you pour the wine, it exudes a perfect lipstick red while emitting the bright, acidic aroma of cranberries and the luscious scent of red roses.
Note: I let this wine settle in the decanter for about 20 to 30 minutes.
In the glass, the Montepulciano settles into a deep-set garnet red; its color penetrable from the inside out. Initial aromas are of cranberries, black cherries, balsamic, and deep red rose petal perfume. Swirl, and release hints of chocolate, compacted soil notes, wet tree bark, and plush green herbs.
The palate of The Vinum 2016 Montepulciano is full, plush, with present tannins that just swab the mouth like a cotton ball consistently from start to finish. The acidity is quite subtle, thin but constantly working until the absolute finish when it emerges with a bang of an exclamation point. Dominant flavors are of cedar wood, cherry wood, rain water on gravel, dried cherries, boysenberry jam, wild mint leaves, and christmas tree.
Food Pairing: I paired the The Vinum 2016 Montepulciano with a homemade cioppino filled with mussels, clams, sea bass, shrimp, and crab. First of all, yum. Secondly, yes was a perfect pairing. The overall subtle acidity paired beautifully with the tomato broth. The acidity and herbs of the broth brought forward the voluptuousness of the fruits in the wine that were quite subtle — maybe even missing — when sipping the Montepulciano on its own. Meanwhile, the earthiness of the wine did well to contrast the natural sweetness of the shellfish.
I would do this again and I highly recommend it to all you friends.
More Info: I received the The Vinum 2016 Montepulciano as a gift from fellow bloggers and wine retailers John and Irene Ingersoll who write and sell at topochines.com. (Cheers guys!) Retail: $25. For more information about The Vinum and their wines, please visit The Vinum website.
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