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The Art Of Italian Wine: Masciarelli
Italian wines are special.
Well, this statement says a lot and nothing at the same time.
Remember, wine is personable and subjective. Everyone has a right to have their own opinion, and that opinion can only be subjective.
What makes Italian wines special? I will allow myself to make a bold claim – Italian wines are distinguishable. At least the well-made Italian wines produced from the core Italian grape varieties. What I’m saying is that when you taste Chianti, Brunello, Nero d’Avola, Montepulciano, Barolo and others, you might not identify the exact wine and the exact producer, but you would be reasonably sure you are drinking an Italian wine.
When you drink wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay, you might be well able to identify the grape, but the origin of the wine can be equally anywhere in the world – Bordeaux, California, Italy, Spain, Washington, Australia, Chile and everywhere in between can be a source of a great Cabernet Sauvignon. This would be also true for the absolute majority of the so-called international grape varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc. But when you taste Sangiovese made in Italy, you might be easily mistaken about the exact region, but you would be reasonably certain you are drinking an Italian wine. An important disclaimer – it would definitely help if this would be a well-made Italian wine.
Here is a great example of the well-made, and thus easily recognizable Italian wine – or, rather, wines – Tenute Masciarelli in Abruzzo in Italy.
In terms of “wine time”, Masciarelli is a very young winery, founded in 1981 by Gianni Masciarelli. However, the impact in the wine world is not directly a function of time. Wine has been continuously produced throughout Italy for a few thousand years. In Abruzzo, a province located in central Italy along the Adriatic Sea, Montepulciano is the king. Simple Montepulciano red wines were produced forever in the region, perfectly quaffable, but not really comparable, for example, to the wines of Tuscany. Gianni Masciarelli spearheaded the change in the region, both in grape growing (he introduced the French Guyot training system for vines in the region) and production – he was the first to start using French oak barrels for aging the Montepulciano Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo wines. 1984 saw the first vintage of the Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, the first of its kind single-vineyard Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine, which will be celebrating 40 years of production this year.
Today, Masciarelly sustainably produces wines from all 4 provinces in Abruzzo. Annual wine production exceeds 1 million bottles across 7 different lines and 22 wine labels. A few months back, I had an opportunity to review Masciarelli’s introductory Linea Classica – 3 very well-made wines that were not only tasty but easily lasted for 5 days after being open – a testament to quality. Now, I had the pleasure of reviewing the latest releases from two more wine lines – Marina Cvetic and Villa Gemma.
Marina Cvetic line includes 2 of the classics – Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Riserva and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – the second one is my perrenial favorite, I’m always happy to drink it. Additionally, the Marina Cvetic line includes four of international grape varieties (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot) – however, I don’t think those are available in the US.
Villa Gemma, the winery’s flagship and the oldest produced line, includes three of the Abruzzo’s classics – white blend, Rosé, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva.
Here are my notes:
2020 Masciarelli Marina Cvetić Trebbiano D’Abruzzo Riserva DOC (14% ABV, $60, 100% Trebbiano Abruzzese, 20-50 yo vines)
Light golden
A hint of tropical fruit, Whitestone fruit, honeysuckle
Round, clean, fresh, a hint of butter, soft and creamy texture with Meyer lemon finish
8, the wine is a bit aggressive when just opened, don’t over-chill it (I would serve it around 50F) and let it breathe, maybe 30 minutes in a decanter. Will stay fresh in the fridge for a few weeks.
2022 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Abruzzo Bianco DOC (14% ABV, $24, 50% Trebbiano, 30% Pecorino, 20% Cococciola)
Straw pale
whitestone fruit, lemon, clean, inviting
Crisp, clean, good acidity, lemon, expressive minerality, good balance
8, excellent
2022 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo Superiore DOC (14% ABV, $24, 100% Montepulciano)
Beautiful cranberry pink
Restrained nose of fresh strawberries, pleasant
Strawberries, cranberries, fresh, bright, excellent acidity, good balance, delicious
8
2019 Masciarelli Marina Cvetić Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Reserva DOC (14.6% ABV, $38, 100% Montepulciano, 15-30 yo vines, 12 months in French oak barrels)
Dark garnet, almost black
Dark cherries, espresso, tar, mocha, medium intensity
Dark cherries, silky smooth with beautifully present tannins, layered, round, well present, delicious.
8+, these are day 2 and day 6 notes, this wine is made of the long haul, was not very enjoyable upon opening, you need to decant it for 2-3 hours or forget it in the cellar for 10-15 years as the least.
2018 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Riserva Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC (15% ABV, $98, 100% Montepulciano, 35 yo vines, 12 months in French oak barrels)
Dark garnet, practically black
Black cherries, a hint of a barnyard
Black cherries, cherry pits, silky smooth roll-of-the-tongue texture, good acidity, excellent balance
8+, this is a big wine. It is surprisingly pop’n’pour, but will improve with the cellaring.
Here you are, my friends – wine, a liquid art form, made in Italy.
Do you think that Italian wines are easily distinguishable? What are your favorite Italian wine producers?
Hold The Pizza – I Just Want The Wine: Masciarelli Villa Gemma
At the age of 20, Gianni Masciarelli was helping with the harvest in Champagne. At the age of 26, in 1981, he started making his own wines in the Italian region called Abruzzo. 1984 was the first release of the Villa Gemma Rosso wine, truly a different take on the Montepulciano wines.
Montepulciano is the main grape of Abruzzo (not to be confused with Montepulciano in Tuscany, which is the name of the village where the wines are made from Sangiovese grape). Late in the 20th century, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo became one of the most exported Italian wines – it was dry, it was simple, it was quaffable and, of course, good for pizza.
Gianni Masciarelli had his own, pioneer view on how the Montepulciano wines should be made. He introduced the Guyot training system for the vines in Abruzzo. He was the first to start using French oak barrels in the production of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, showing the world that Montepulciano can go way beyond just a “pizza wine” qualities. Today, Masciarelli estates are run by Marina Cvetic Masciarelli, late wife of Gianni Masciarelli; the vineyards spawn 350 acres and produce about 1.1M bottles of wine across 5 different lines.
Recently, I had an opportunity to taste a few of the wines from the Villa Gemma line, and here are my notes:
2016 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Blanco Colline Teatine IGT (13% ABV, $17.99, 80% Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, 15% Cococciola, 5% Chardonnay)
C: light golden
N: a touch of fresh grass, a hint of white stone fruit, a hint of gunflint, medium intensity
P: crisp, refreshing, crunchy, touch of lemon, slightly underripe peaches, very clean, medium finish
V: 8-, craving food, excellent overall. Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Cococciola also extended my grape hunting collection
2016 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo DOC (13.5% ABV, $14.99, 100% Montepulciano)
C: intense, ripe strawberry pink
N: pure strawberries, fresh, succulent strawberries
P: fresh, tart, restrained, lightweight, clean strawberry profile, good overall balance
V: 8, simply delightful. An excellent Rosé for any time of the year
2007 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC (14.5% ABV, $89.99, 100% Montepulciano, aged 18-24 months in oak barriques, total 36 months))
C: Dark garnet
N: fresh cherries, anis, mint, blackberries
P: soft, generous, round, fresh acidity, touch of leather, cherries and cherry pit, generous tannins on the finish.
V: 8, excellent wine, unmistakably Italian, supremely delicious.
These wines were absolutely delicious in their own right. I seriously don’t know about pizza – you can probably pair anything with pizza, from two buck chuck to the Screaming Eagle and Petrus – but you really don’t have to. These three wines from Masciarelli Villa Gemma would perfectly complement any dinner – appetizers, salads, and mains – these wines pack a serious amount of pleasure. Don’t take my word for it – try them for yourself. The pizza is entirely optional. Cheers!
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