Masciarelli, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 'Marina Cvetic'

A fantastic big Italian red, full of character.

Masciarelli is an icon of wine making in Abruzzo. His wines always deliver on weight, richness but also freshness and drinkability. The Marina Cvetic is their go-to Montepulciano, sourced from three vineyard sites that are mostly around 30 years old. The style here is a big wine with a sense of balance, deep, dark, brooding black fruits, earth, truffle and mineral, all surrounded by copious yet ripe tannins and well balanced acidity. Boasting a Gambero Rosso winemaker of the year award and 92 points from the Wine Advocate, this one has it all. A perfect companion to fillet steak with or without black truffle.

Gianni Masciarelli, who died in 2008, and his wife Marina Cvetic have been among the shining beacons of Abruzzo, proving that the region and the Montepulciano grape could produce world-class wines. Over the years, his limited production wines have reached an exalted, cult status. The estate, whilst not natural, is well made in traditional style. Masciarelli is well-respected as an innovator in wine, having first used French oak barrels on Montepulciano. The estate is still being run very much in his image, growing Montepulciano, Trebbiano and other varieties across their 4 estates.