Abruzzo Wine

Winemaker Description

Rich and ripe dark cherry fruit, along with attractive spicy, smoky notes. Fleshy and full, with surprising depth and length.

This wine is intended to be consumed in its youth and is a terrific complement to roasted meats, pastas and pizza – the ultimate trattoria wine.

Expert Reviews

A medium-bodied, dry red with firm but approachable  tannins and aromas of dark fruit, it’s an excellent food wine.  - Lettie Teague, WSJ

This Montepulciano is juicy, medium-bodied, and smooth—perfect for warm-weather sipping. Its ripe red cherry and plum flavors pair beautifully with grilled meats, pasta salads, and pizza on the patio. Serve it slightly chilled for a fresh, easygoing red that stands up to summer fare without weighing you down.

Winemaker Description

Color: Medium purple-red color with violet hues.

Aroma: The nose opens to notes of red berries and spicy nuances of white pepper.

Taste: In the mouth, it develops harmoniously between fruity sweetness and savory freshness.

Excellent with cold cuts, cured meats, pasta dishes with meat sauces, vegetables and mushrooms. It pairs wonderfully with pizzas with firm toppings.

Expert Review

Eric Guido writes:  The 2023 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Malandrino entices with its mineral-drenched bouquet of crushed rock and smoke giving way to herbal-tinged blackberry. It sweeps across the palate with silken textures and ripe red and hints of blue fruits as a wave of cool-toned acidity maintains lovely energy. Long and potent, this leaves a subtle coating of fine tannins and nuances of licorice as it tapers off. This is already appealing today, despite its notable structure.  Drinking 2026 to 2031.  - Vinous 92

Winemaker Description

Dark ruby colored with intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, plum and violets with a lovely earthy complexity. Full bodied in the mouth with a rich texture, supple tannins and a long persistent finish. Perfect for lamb chops, steak and roasted veggies. Made from organically grown grapes.

Buyer's Description

"A good Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is arguably one of the most dependable wines to serve with mid-week meals. One such Montepulciano is the Frentana Rubesto Riseva 2020. Brightly flavored, elegant and well balanced, with mouth filling cherry fruit, spicy complexity and  lifted acidity that complements food so perfectly. Pizza and pasta are always what come to mind, but this is a wine that can also partner well with roasted chicken, salmon, tuna  and vegetarian menus. Turn your mid-week mediocre meals into something more special. A good bottle of wine can make the difference!""  Bart Hopkins

Winemaker Description

Very intense ruby red color, with aging it appears garnet; highlights smell remarkably complex, with aromas of black cherry, violet, vanilla and spicy notes. It goes perfectly with meat dishes of the Abruzzo’s cuisine, particularly the lamb, but also roast or braised veal and mature cheese.

Warehouse stored item - please allow three to five business days to fulfill.

La Valentina's Bellovedere is the winery's highest expression of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. It is a single-vineyard wine from the subzone of Terre dei Vestini, in the rolling hills near the Abruzzo coast and the city of Pescara. The Bellovedere is intended to demonstrate the great possibilities of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and as such the wine is produced only in the years with great weather conditions and fully mature grapes. The Bellovedere vineyard takes its name from a park in the center of Spoltore with a view of the vineyards and the ridgeline of the Gran Sasso peaks behind, as shown on the label.

• 94 James
  Suckling
• 92 Wine
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