Our Imports manager Frank just loves a Montepulciano. His reasoning is that the flavour to dollar ratio is simply off the charts, and it represents value from entry level all the way to the top (which is never even close in price to the wines of the north). It’s versatile too, with ripe fruit flavours and soft tannins partnering impenetrable inky colour – an almost contradictory balance of power and mellowness that seems to go with an inexhaustible range of recipes and occasions. But it’s not just about the wine, he also loves the people of Abruzzo. They’re hardworking and fun loving, all-round good humans just waiting to turn on some great hospitality.
We already have some lovely wines from Abruzzo via our great friends at Fantini, and some of our multi-regional producers also have a Montepulciano in the mix. But there are a couple of reasons why we felt Orefice (pronounced oh-reh-fee-cheh) are still a very welcome and worthy addition to the portfolio. Firstly, the DOC Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is quite a different wine to the Fantini versions – an earthy, savoury alternative. Then there’s the Cococciola, which we’d venture to guess is the only example of the grape available in Australia (you’re going to love its bright and crisp citrus/mineral styling). Finally is the flagship People d’Abruzzo, which is a Monte/Sangio/Merlot blend that has seen a later harvest to achieve full ripeness, then had fermentation stopped ever-so-short of dryness to keep the abv in check but the flavour like a sonic boom.
More information can be found on our Orefice Vini page or full tasting notes here.
