Deep, rich and smooth late harvest Riserva wine from Colline Teramane - the top quality zone for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

This Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva has very complex, deep and rounded flavours of Christmas pudding, cocoa and milk chocolate. Having aged for seven years it's well developed, and the tannins are silky and mellow. That said, the wine has enough potential to continue its evolution: it still bursts with vibrant flavours of black cherry and blackberries supported by fresh acidity.

Riserva wine is only made in the best years, in limited quantities. In this case, only 6,000 bottles were produced - only about 3% of the winery's total production. This wine comes from Montepagano Hills in the Colline Teramane subzone, which qualifies for DOCG status - Italy's highest quality level. The vineyard faces south, which is the most favourable exposure because it helps the grapes to ripen well. The terroir is influenced by the Adriatic sea. Thanks to the fresh maritime breezes, the grapes retain more acid and can be picked later than in the rest of Montepulciano. This gives them more time to develop richer flavours.

Winemaking

The Montepulciano grapes are harvested by hand in the last two weeks of October. For Riserva, the pickers only select the healthiest grapes. Grapes are gently crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Then, the wine is aged for eighteen months, partly in new French oak barriques, and partly in 2000-litre tonnaux. The wine is then bottled, and left undisturbed for another year to allow the flavours to integrate.

Tasting notes

Deep ruby colour. On the nose, the wine offers a complex selection of pronounced aromas including blackberry, bramble and black cherry, as well as Christmas pudding, soft milk chocolate, cocoa and prunes. In the mouth, this Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva is dry, with medium acidity, velvety tannins, a high level of alcohol and a full body. While it can be enjoyed now, this wine will continue to develop in cellar for a few more years.

Awards

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 – Bronze Medal (2015 vintage) | The WineHunter, Merano Wine Festival – Gold (2015 vintage) | Decanter, 2021 tasting – 94 points (2015 vintage) | The WineHunter 2017 Merano Wine Festival - Gold (2013 vintage) | Gambero Rosso 2018 - 2 red glasses, final tasting (2013 vintage) | Vitae la Guida Vini 2019 - 3 vines (2013 vintage) | Decanter, 2021 tasting - 94 points (2015 vintage)

UK-exclusive artisan Extra Virgin Olive Oil from north Abruzzo: pine green colour, flavours of gooseberry, chamomile, wild flowers and basil

This is the most spicy and aromatic olive oil we've ever tasted, with a delicious tangy bite of bitterness. It meets the high quality standard of Pretuziano Denominazione di Origine Protetta (DOP).

The origins

This artisan Extra Virgin Olive Oil is crafted by the Orlandi Contucci Ponno winery, in the Teramo hills of north Abruzzo. This winery is best known for its rich and complex Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines, and a similar depth of flavour can be found in their oil.

The oil is made from Leccino, Frantoio and Dritta olives. They develop their characteristic flavourful taste thanks to the climate of the Teramo hills. The area is influenced by breezes from the Adriatic sea, which are said to bring salty and mineral flavours. From the east, it's affected by the cold winds from the Gran Sasso mountains - the highest part of the Apennines.

This "Pretuzian" olive oil refers to the Pretuzi - the indigenous tribe of Teramo, conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century BCE. Their tradition for making food and wine reaches as far back as the 10th century BCE, and Pretuzian wines were mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his "Natural History".

Tasting notes

Deep pine green colour. Vigorous spicy and herbal aromas, such as white pepper, gooseberry, chamomile, wild flowers and basil, supported by mineral and salty notes. Prepare for the pleasant surprise of a seriously peppery finish with a note of noble bitterness.