Say it with me: mon-tuh-pul-CHEE-an-no dah BROOT-zo. 

It’s one of my favorite Italian wines and not just because it’s fun to say.  It’s a very approachable Italian country wine that is often overlooked.  Yet it is very enjoyable and can have as much complexity as more popular varietals.  It’s much less acidic than many other Italian wines, such as Sangiovese or Nebbiolo, and it has soft tannins.

Montepulciano is the grape and Abruzzo is the region, which you’ll find 70 miles east of Rome and continuing to the Adriatic Sea.  To be clear, there is also a community in Italy named Montepulciano, but that is not the source of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

Old World Meets New World

One of the things that I really enjoyed about many of these wines is that they have a nice blend of old world and new world wine characteristics.  They have some of the earthiness and complexity you would expect from an old world wine with a fruit-forward palate that you would expect in new world wines.  At times I am a fan of both (old and new), so when I can’t decide which I want, this is the perfect choice.

Over the past few weeks I’ve reviewed several bottles of this delightful Italian wine and it’s time to summarize the results.

Top Picks

My top pick from this series is La Valentina from Fattoria La Valentina.  This wine showed outstanding complexity and was enjoyable all around.  At $13 it is reasonably priced.

My second choice is Masciarelli, which shouldn’t be a new name to fans of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.  This is a popular choice for many, and for good reason.  It has great concentration, good complexity and is a bargain at $9.

Another pick that I’ll have to call the best deal is Farnese Vini – Farneto Valley.  This wine has smoke and cherry aromas on the nose and a berry-filled palate.  This is a great way to try Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for only $7.

Most of the wines I tasted ended up somewhere in the mid 80′s.  So there are several decent choices available.  Here’s the full list.