David’s ‘Everyday Italian Wine’ - 29
Each Friday, David Brenner of Villasfor2 in Abruzzo selects a delicious, top-value 'Everyday Italian Wine' for you to enjoy at home - or on your Abruzzo vacation !
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 'dal Tralcetto'. Cantina Zaccagnini. 2006.
I promised last week that we'd soon be revisiting our local Abruzzo wines and this wood-aged Montepulciano from just about the hottest Cantina in the region right now is a good place to start.
With a cute marketing ploy bordering on genius, the simple addition of a 2-inch vine cutting - the 'tralcetto' of its brand-name - attached to the neck of the bottle with a stylish twist of raffia has made this particular Montepulciano d'Abruzzo a stand-out on wine-store shelves around the world.
But while this neat little piece of branding unquestionably helped shift a few initial bottles, it's been the wine inside that's gathered a truckload of awards and international recognition - most recently, a 'Regional Oscar' from the Almanacco del Berebene 2008. As you'll have gathered, it's very, very good.
It was a master-stroke from winemaker Concezio Marulli to go against tradition and give what's essentially an entry-level Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from this winery - though that's rather like saying the F430 Coupe is an entry-level Ferrari - 6 months in oak before bottling.
This bit of wood-ageing gives the wine a really stylish depth and presence. The tannins provide the usual full-on red fruit of a good Montepulciano with a darker, more refined edge, with added notes of tobacco and leather and a long, smooth finish. And those oak tannins will also go on making the wine a little more rounded in the bottle. If you allow it to develop for three years or so from the vintage date, it'll get even better.
As with all good red wines, a glass of 'dal Tralcetto' can be enjoyed on its own. With food, it's an excellent accompaniment to pasta with wild boar and hare sauces. In Piedmont, beef is braised in Barolo; in Abruzzo, beef is braised in Montepulciano. The same principal of 'the better the wine - the better the braise' applies, (as does buying a bottle to cook with and a bottle to drink), so get two bottles of 'dal Tralcetto' and treat yourself to something a bit special.
At A Glance…
- This week's featured wine: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 'dal Tralcetto'
- Vintage: 2006
- Producer: Cantina Zaccagnini
- Designation: DOC
- Grape: 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
- Strength: 12.5%
- Closure: Cork
- This bottle cost: €4.89 (On offer ! It's usually around €6.50-€7.50)
Cantina Zaccagnini
Set-up in 1978, the Cantina's based in the small town of Bolognano, inland from Pescara in that little gap in the mountains between the Gran Sasso and the Majella. The vineyards are small - just 80 hectares - and Zaccagnini's list is correspondingly select with low production (and laudably restrained prices). Flagship is the single-estate San Clemente, earning remission after 15 months in oak and weighing-in at a daunting 14.5%.
Though the traditional Abruzzo grapes feature heavily, this isn't what you'd call a traditional list, with every item given winemaker Concezio Marulli's individual interpretation on an old theme - like the Passito wines made of dried Montepulciano, Cannonau or Muscat grapes with tiny production runs and sold in even tinier bottles. If you've got the patience to grapple with the irritatingly and mystifyingly awful Zaccagnini website you can find out more.
Click on the pictures in the text for larger images - and if you like Italian wine, why not bookmark this site for future weekly 'Everyday Italian Wine' posts.
Next Week: Another take on Italy's favourite fizz Prosecco - but not from some boutique winery. This comes from Italian drinks giants Cinzano and it's a wine you're going to enjoy drinking at home and on your Villasfor2 Abruzzo vacation !
Abruzzo vacation, Cantina Zaccagnini, Everyday Italian Wine, Montepulciano dAbruzzo dal Tralcetto, Villasfor2
No comments yet.