| Wine
description |
Deeply
colored wines, with moderate acidity and noticeable extract
and alcohol levels, low tannins --smooth, drinkable wines
that can improve for three or four years after vintage. |
| Food
pairing |
pasta
with a meat-based ragù, Eggplant Alla Parmigiana |
| Origin |
Tuscany,
Italy |
| Notable
regions |
Italy |
| Notable
wines |
Emidio
Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo |
The grape is widely planted throughout central and southern
Italy, most notably in Abruzzi, Latium, Marche, Molise, Umbria
and Apulia, and is a permitted variety in DOC wines produced
in 20 of Italy's 95 provinces. Montepulciano is rarely found
in northern Italy because the grape has a tendency to ripen
late and can be excessively "green" if harvested too early.
When fully
ripened, Montepulciano can produce deeply colored wines, with
moderate acidity and noticeable extract and alcohol levels.[1]
Origins and confusion with other Montepulciano wines
According
to wine expert Jancis Robinson, Montepulciano likely originated
in Tuscany and may be related to Sangiovese of which the two
grapes are often confused for each other. Despite this possible
origin, the Montepulciano grape still doesn't seem to have
any tangible connection to the Montepulciano village and the
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano beyond, what Robinsons describes
as, "linguistics".[2][3]
Furthermore, despite being widely planted throughout central
Italy, the Montepulciano grape is not even grown in the vineyards
around the village of Montepulciano.[4][5]
Wine
regions
 |
|
The
spread of the Montepulciano grape throughout Italy.
After
Sangiovese, Montepulciano is Italy's second most widely
dispersed indigenous grape variety.
|
It is a recommend
planting in 20 of Italy's 95 provinces and is a permitted or
required grape in the red wines of DOCs in Apulia, Molise, Latium,
Umbria, Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Abruzzi and Tuscany. Among the
DOCs that are most noted for Montepulciano are Montepulciano
d'Abruzzo in Abruzzi, Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno in Marche.
Though it is a secondary variety to Uva di Troia in the Castel
Del Monte DOC, wine expert Jancis Robinson the character that
Montepulciano contributes to the blend as perhaps "its finest
incarnation".[2]
Viticulture
and wines
Montepulciano
ripens late and has a tendency to favor producing large yields.
The grapes can be plump with a low skin to juice ratio. However,
the skin has a fair amount of pigmented tannins and color
producing phenols that with maceration can produce either
a deep ruby colored wine or a pink Cerasuolo wine.[2]
Compared to most Italian varieties, Montepulciano has moderately
low acidity and more mild (i.e. softer) than bitter edged
tannins.[3] Wine expert Oz Clarke describes
Montepulciano as producing a "round, plummy and weighty
red with ripe tannins, good acidity and a low price tag."[7]
Jancis Robinson evaluates Montepulciano as a "promising
variety" that produces smooth, drinkable wines that can
improve for three or four years after vintage.[2]
See
Also:
Home
Wine Page
History
of Wine
Classification
of Wines
Science
of Taste
The
Science of Wine Aroma
About
the Acids in Wine
Polyphenols
(Tannins) in Wine
Oak
in Wines
The Basic Wine Pairing Rules
Science of Food and Wine
Pairing
Sugars
in Wine
About
Wine Tasting
Wine
Tasting Terms
Storage
of Wine
Aging
of Wine
Wine
Acessories
Headaches
from Wine
About
a Wine Sommelier
References
-
J. Robinson Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes
p. 112 Oxford University Press 1996
-
J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines p. 212
Mitchell Beazley 1986
-
Loren Sonkin "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo" Accessed: December 30th, 2010
- J.
Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine"
Third Edition p. 450 Oxford University Press 2006
-
Anthony Giglio "Montepulciano: the real deal" La Cucina Italiana Magazine.
Accessed: December 31st, 2010
- P.
Saunders Wine Label Language pp. 119-215 Firefly
Books 2004
- Oz
Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes p. 139 Harcourt
Books 2001
-
Vitis International Variety Catalogue "Montepulciano entry" Accessed: December 28th, 2010
