Great Italian Wines - Understanding Indigenous Grape Varieties - Montepulciano & Aglianico

After exploring Sangiovese & Vernaccia di San Gimignano last month as part of the masterclass series on "Great Italian Wines - Understanding Indigenous Grape Varieties", on Thursday I attended the 3rd part in the series which focused on the varieties Montepulciano & Aglianico.

Montepulciano has been cultivated since the late 1700s, and likely even earlier during the time of the Etruscans. Today, Montepulciano is the second most widely planted varietal in Italy, right after Sangiovese. It is planted mainly in central Italy, predominantly in Abruzzo, as well as the regions of Marche, Molise. and Puglia.

The most famous Montepulciano wines comes from the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC. Montepulciano is a high-yielding grape that thrives in area of Abruzzo, in central Italy, along the eastern Adriatic coast. Abruzzo is considered the Greenest Region of Europe and also has 2nd highest mountain range in Europe with Mount Majella rising to 2,793 metres.

Winemaking traditions in Abruzzo date back to the 6th century BC and today produce the 5th most wine by volume in Italy. Montepulciano is produced in each of Abruzzo's provinces - L'Aquila (Capital), Chieti, Pescara, and Teramo - and over half of the 32,000 hectares of vines are planted to this varietal. Montepulciano has a blue-purple skin colour with a high concentration of inky coloured pigment. It is late-ripening and thick-skinned, yet produces wines with softer tannins and lower acidity. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo was designated a DOC in 1968 and requires at least 85% of the wine to be made with Montepulciano and no more than 15% of Sangiovese. The wine I tasted as part of this masterclass is 100% Montepulciano.

Aglianico is considered to be the Barolo of the South and the best examples are produced in Basilicata and Campania. The wine tasted in this masterclass is from Basilicata, a region located in the instep of the boot of Italy and borders Campania, Puglia, and Calabria between the Adriatic, Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts. The mountainous region has been occupied by humans for many thousands of years and includes an extinct volcano - Mount Vulture - that rises to 1,326 metres above sea level.

Established in 1971, Aglianico del Vulture DOC is the most significant winemaking region of Basilicata. Only 2,400 hectares are cultivated, all on volcanic soils derived from Mount Vulture, and Aglianico is the only permitted grape within this DOC. The best examples of Aglianico del Vulture DOC wines are grown between 350 to 500 metres above sea level.

The Aglianico grape has a dark blue-black colour and is thick-skinned. It is a late-ripening variety that can be harvested into November and is low-yielding. Aglianico requires abundant sunshine and dry climates, while thriving on steep slopes, high altitudes, and volcanic soils. Aglianico del Vulture wines tend to be full-bodied and structured with firm tannins, and are very age-worthy.

As with previous masterclasses in the series, both of the wines are available by the case through their Agent - Cavinona. Use special discount code ICCOAPRIL for 10% off any case purchase until May 15th. These wines can also be purchased by the bottle at their bottle shops - contact Cavinona directly for details.

The small bites I enjoyed as part of the tasting package included some Grana Padano DOP and Pecorino Toscano DOP cheese, as well as A Però Carciofi e Olive (mixed artichokes and olives), and Focaccia - a traditional Italian flat oven-baked bread made by Luca Rotatori, the Head Baker at Spaccio, Terroni's central kitchen.

I very much enjoyed this tasting series and hope to attend the next online masterclasses in June and September. For more details and to register, please visit the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario Canada.

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Tasting Notes:

TORRE DEI BEATI MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO 2018 - DOC, Abruzzo, Italy (XD) - $31.50
100% Montepulciano grown on clay-limestone soils at 250 to 300 metres above sea level, and aged mainly in French oak barriques for 15-18 months. The medium-high intensity nose has rustic, peppery spice, black raspberry, earthy, and black plum aromas with touches of balsamic and barnyard. It's light-to-medium bodied with fresh, vibrant acidity and spicy flavours of dark berry, black raspberry, earth, and balsamic. It has very smooth, refined tannins, while pleasing savoury-earthy notes with touches of balsamic and coffee linger on the long, balanced, juicy finish. Score: 90 pts

GRIFALCO AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE 2018 - DOC, Basilicata, Italy (XD) - $36.02
Organically grown 100% Aglianico from vines 25-40 years old, at 450 to 550 metres above sea level, and aged mostly in stainless steel tanks. Very pretty, medium-high intensity aromas of sweet spice, incense, and rose floral with underlying dark berry and smoky, earthy mineral aromas. On the medium-full to full-bodied palate it has lovely red and black cherry, wet earth, baking spice flavours supported by balanced acidity. Chalky, structured tannins are a bit tight at this stage. Savoury with mineral and touches of barnyard notes on the long finish. Enjoyable now, but will be even better after 3+ years in the cellar. Score: 91+ pts