Tasting Notes
I visit family in Abruzzo and have tasted many many different Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines – especially as it’s common in Italy to find in wine shops and supermarkets very few wines from outside of the local region. After so much testing of the local nectar, I am pleased to introduce this lovely example from Tenuta Ulisse, a winery run by brothers Antoino and Luigi Ulisse.
Often confused with Sangiovese, the Montepulciano grape is best known in the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine DOC – and this is not to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano which is produced from Sangiovese in Tuscany. In fact the two grapes were frequently considered to be the same but it has been proved by DNA testing that that is not the case.
This is a deep-coloured red wine, a warm spicy wine tasting of cherries (not unlike Sangiovese) and black plums with liquorice and spices from the oak barriques in which it is aged for 9 to 12 months. Tannins can be high in Montepulciano d’Abruzzo but here they are nicely balanced with the fruit and relatively low alcohol. A medium-bodied wine with a velvety texture.