Tiberio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2022

Cristiana Tiberio farms her vineyards at Cugnoli in Abruzzo, central Italy, in the foothills below the Gran Sasso and Monte Amaro. Trained as a chemist, she makes this Montepulciano d'Abruzzo in a deliberately fresh, savoury style rather than a heavy one. The vines sit at altitude on calcareous clay soils, where the cool mountain nights and the warm Adriatic influenced days create a wide diurnal swing that holds the grape's natural acidity and gives the wine its lift. Montepulciano is a thick skinned, late ripening variety with deep colour and firm tannin, here kept in balance by the cool site and early picking. Farming is organic, fermentation runs with native yeast, and the wine is aged eight months in stainless steel, an inert vessel that keeps the fruit clean and the wine fresh with no oak influence. The colour is deep ruby. The nose is plum, black cherry and red berries with dried herbs, pepper and an earthy note. The palate is medium bodied and savoury, with fine tannin, fresh acidity and a long, mineral finish. Serve at 16 degrees with grilled meat, tomato based dishes or hard cheese.