Folonari Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2016
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This classic Italian red is 85% Montepulciano and 15% Sangiovese from Italy's Abruzzi region. Vinified and aged entirely in stainless steel the wine is rich, yet fresh and fruity on the palate with soft flavors of cassis, dark fruit, leather and spice.
Pair with roasts, hard cheeses and beef.
Folonari was founded in 1825 by Francesco Folonari. The company and vineyards first grew in Valmonica in the Veneto region of Italy. In the laterhalf of the 19th century, Francesco and his sons moved to Brescia in the verdant alpine foothills between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda, establishing one of Italy’s finest winemaking facilities and securing a worldwide reputation for quality.From the very beginning, the Folonari family wanted to create wines accessible to everyday tables. They pioneered the production and distribution of wine in bottles, which made it easier for people to enjoy consistently high-quality wine whenever the mood struck. A bottle from the Folonari winery made on one day was certain to be just as excellent as a bottle produced the next, or in a few weeks, or in a few months. This philosophy of bringing exceptional wines to everyday occasions continues to guide Folonari today.
Montepulciano is the second most planted red variety in Italy after Sangiovese, though it is achieves its highest potential in the region of Abruzzo. Consistently enticing and enjoyable, Montepulciano enjoys great popularity throughout central and southern Italy as well. A tiny bit grows with success in California, Argentina and Australia. Somm Secret—Montepulciano is also the name of a village in Tuscany where, confusingly, they don’t grow the Montepulciano grape at all! Sangiovese shines in yet another Tuscan village, here making the reputable wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
A warm, Mediterranean vine-growing paradise, in Abruzzo, the distance from mountains to seaside is relatively short. The Apenniness, which run through the center of Italy, rise up on its western side while the Adriatic Sea defines its eastern border.
Wine composition tends to two varieties: Abruzzo’s red grape, Montepulciano and its white, Trebbiano. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can come in a quaffable, rustic and fruity style that generally drinks best young. It is also capable of making a more serious style, where oak aging tames its purely wild fruit.
Trebbiano in Abruzzo also comes in a couple of varieties. Trebbiano Toscana makes a simple and fruity white. However when meticulously tended, the specific Trebbiano d’Abruzzo-based white wines can be complex and long-lived.
In the region’s efforts to focus on better sites and lower yields, vine acreage has decreased in recent years while quality has increased.