Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Masciarelli Wines


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Written by James Ellsworth Friday, 16 January 2009 10:22

Masciarelli Offers Old World Vintage with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Abruzzo is that forgotten “ankle” of Italy’s boot between the more famous north of Tuscany/Umbria and the exotic south. Set among the rugged Apennine Mountains, the Maiella range abuts Masciarelli’s Abruzzese vineyards near Chieti and the Adriatic.

Gianni Masciarelli, who died in July 2008 aged 53, was the mastermind behind “the revival of winemaking in Abruzzo and the refashioning of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo as a grape that could produce world-class wines” (Michele Shah in www.decanter.com/news/264933.html).

Masciarelli’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Revival

When Gianni began making wine in 1978 at his father’s winery, he challenged his vintners and field workers to make the Montepulciano varietal taste as good as a burgundy. Angela Acquaviva, his export manager, says “He offered glasses of burgundy to the workers and said ‘You like this; then let’s make our Montepulciano like this’”. Until the 1980s Montepulciano was a low quality and high quantity cultivation used to blend with others. But Masciarelli changed production on his vineyards. He studied in France and introduced innovations:

  • One was a move to narrow and low vines, two clusters per plant in order to focus on quality. 
  • He also added plain guyot to traditional Abruzzo pergola pruning and canopy management for quality, as well as bordering rose bushes to control viruses.
  • Another initiative was to age the wine for several years in stainless steel vats and in oak barriques.

By 1984, his vineyard launched Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Villa Gemma, named after their San Martino sulla Marrucina estate. Since then Masciarelli wines have been winning many awards:

  • The Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the only wine to have won the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri eleven years in a row, most recently with their 2005 product
  • Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Marina Cvetic 2005 Masciarelli has also won the Tre Bicchieri, in the Gambero Rosso 2009 list
  • DiWine Taste (March 2007) gave the 2001 Villa Gemma 5 stars and described it thus:
    “Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Villa Gemma shows a deep ruby red color…. The nose reveals intense, clean, pleasing, refined and elegant aromas which start with hints of black cherry, plum and blackberry followed by aromas of violet, black currant, blueberry, vanilla, tobacco, licorice, cinnamon, leather, cocoa, pink pepper, mace and menthol. The finish is very persistent with long flavors of black cherry, plum and blackberry. A magnificent wine, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Villa Gemma ages for 36 months, of which 18-24 months it is in barrique.”

In 1991 Gianni Masciarelli released the first vintage of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Marina Cvetic, named after his wife. It was meant to be a quality wine but at more modest pricing. Today the Masciarelli estate  (http://www.masciarelli.it/eng/home_eng.htm) comprises over 300 hectares and produces some 1,100,000 bottles of wine a year in three ranges: Masciarelli Classico, Villa Gemma and Marina Cvetić.

Gianni Masciarelli Legacies
 
Apart from his wines and four varieties of extra virgin oil from his 4,000 olive trees, Masciarelli purchased the nearby Castel Semivicoli in 2004, an 18th century estate that belonged to Baron Perticone and was abandoned in 1956. Masciarelli started restoration and refurbishment that incorporated the old with the new. Apart from excavations that have revealed Roman artifacts to WW II trench placements, the site has

  • an 1836 olive press
  • the Baronessa’s furniture, chandeliers and paintings
  • a restored bell tower
  • a conference room befitting corporate gatherings in a monkish setting
  • fourteen suites with the most modern accoutrements overlooking the vineyards and the Maiella mountains 

Masciarelli, with a view to helping Abruzzese develop their land has incorporated a Foundation Gianni Masciarelli “to promote and encourage the young talents in international oenology” replete with a charitable donation account accessible on the web site. 

Golf and the Guardigrele Area

In keeping with the amaronegolf ethos, there are several elements that make visiting Abruzzo appealing. There is:

  • an international airport at Pescara 40 km away, with Toronto-Pescara flights
  • Castel Semivicoli would make a fantastic site for an annual general meeting & accommodation
  • several world class restaurants and chefs nearby, such as, Villa Maiella in Guardigrele with chef Peppino Tinari
  • the Miglianico Golf Club designed by Ronald Kirby and near Francavilla al Mare, http://www.bookyourgolf.net/Italy_Golf_Courses/Miglianico_Golf.htm

If members wish to purchase wines or visit the Masciarelli estate, the contact is
Angela Acquaviva, Export Manager
Azienda Agricola Masciarelli
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

James Ellsworth, free lance writer living in Victoria visited Abruzzo in September 2008 and has articles about the trip and other topics on Suite 101.
See http://italy-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/romes_jewish_ghetto_a_legacy and
http://italy-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/hadrians_footprint_on_ancient_rome