Daniele Nardi's website

Montepulciano is the leading red grape variety in the region of Abruzzo. It makes tasty, dark, and fruit-forward red wines. It also makes fantastic rose’ wines. Because Abruzzo is not as famous as other regions in Italy (see Tuscany), their wines command lower prices and many are exceptional values. If you are looking for inexpensive, expressive red wines from grape varieties that are not the usual ones (enough of cabs and merlots, please), this is a wise choice.

This specific bottle comes from a reference producer in Abruzzo. This is their entry-level wine. It is dark, almost completely opaque. Blueberry and flowers in the nose, accompanied by some baked fruit and vegetables, which is not very appealing to me (maybe with air it will get better?). The texture is very crunchy, with bright acidity to balance the fruit. Nice concentration of flavors in the mouth. The mouthfeel is the strength of this wine, much better than the aromas in the nose. The finish is long and very alluring, with red berries and some herbs.