Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the DOC covering wines made from the Montepulciano grape within Abruzzo on Italy's Adriatic coast, one tier below Colline Teramane, the smaller DOCG zone reserved for the most tightly regulated examples. Abruzzo's mix of mountain and coastal influence gives the wines a distinctive balance of ripeness and freshness, with soft tannins and dark cherry fruit that make them approachable even young, though the better examples reward a few years in bottle. It remains one of Italy's best-value reds, rarely commanding the prices of more fashionable regions despite consistently reliable quality. For the grape more broadly, Montepulciano covers examples from beyond Abruzzo too, including New Zealand's take on the variety. For the wider Italian range, Italian Wine covers everything else on offer.