Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 2017

Cellar for up to 12 years. Decant 1 hour before serving.

Gianni Masciarelli helped revive Abruzzo’s fortunes as a winemaking region thanks to his pioneering work with the province’s indigenous local grape varieties. A summer spent in Champagne convinced him that he could make top quality wines in his native land, and he founded his own winery in 1981 with just five acres around his grandfather’s old house in San Martino sulla Marrucina.

Over the years the estate has blossomed into a 900-acre property with parcels in all four provinces of Abruzzo that have helped him win a total of 29 Tre Bicchieri awards for his world-class red and white wines. Although Gianni sadly passed away in 2008, today the estate is today run by his wife, Marina, and his oldest daughter, Miriam.

Villa Gemma is the winery’s flagship line that offers a traditional interpretation of the region’s most famous grape varieties. This Montepulciano d’Abruzzo was first made in 1984 from fruit grown close to the winery. It’s fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged in barriques for up to 24 months followed by 2-3 years in the bottle. This creates a remarkably complex and ageworthy red that’s bursting with intense dark berries, licorice and hints of baked earth and dried herbs. Pair with herby roast lamb or even a hearty wild boar ragu served with fresh pappardelle pasta.