Previews TreBicchieri. The best wines of Abruzzo

On the gamberorossointernational.com website all the official previews of wines awarded with Tre Bicchieri. Here below, Abruzzo

Wine in Abruzzo: contrasts and evolutions

Abruzzo loves contrast. The sea and the mountains, the large wine cooperatives, including second-level, and wineries where the same person carries out 22 functions at the same time. And, again, on the one hand the peasant soul, and partly wild if you look at the landscape; on the other hand an increasingly strong and marked international propensity. The Abruzzo wine scene is an authentic goldmine to be explored, one must go beyond the surface to find a lively, evolving productive fabric, rich in variety and different styles.

The Poker of Aces: Pecorino, Trebbiano, Cerasuolo and Montepulciano

This year's tastings tell us that Pecorino is experiencing an unprecedented maturity and awareness, with a medium-high level and some truly surprising peaks of excellence. The Best Value for Money comes from right here, complete with a sea view. The prize goes to Abruzzo Pecorino '21 produced by Terraviva, in Tortoreto. Sold at about 10 euros per shelf, for a juicy and complete white, with an irresistible drinkability that reminds us of how many advantageous purchasing opportunities there are in this region: versatile wines, very pleasant, perfect for the everyday table. Among the new entries in the Tre Bicchieri group, we point out the first time entry of Tommaso Masciantonio, a company famous for the production of a fantastic olive oil, who proposed to us an authorial Pecorino, very fine in the references of Mediterranean herbs and with a fascinating pace: the 2020 Mantica Vigna di Caprafico. The only Trebbiano d'Abruzzo awarded is the excellent Vigneto di Popoli '19 in Valle Reale, while as far as Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, a denomination on which we are ready to bet, perfectly in line with the current taste, two wines hit the mark: Masciarelli's Villa Gemma '21 and Torre dei Beati's Rosa-ae '21. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo proceeds at full throttle in the calculation of the Tre Bicchieri, including one Colline Teramane. But all that glitters is not gold, in the tasting phase we still found too many samples with obsolete oaks, strong macerations and exaggerated flavour densities. The justification of the Eastern or North American market no longer holds. We certainly need to rethink the idea of ​​Montepulciano, at the centre there must be gustatory rhythm, character, identity. Despite disastrous climatic changes, we are convinced that the wines of the future in Abruzzo will be even more defined and characterful. In the last phase, even more good.

Special Award of Italian Wines 2023. Best Value for Money

The award goes to the Abruzzo Pecorino '21 made by Terraviva winery, in Tortoreto. The shelf price is around 10 euros for a juicy, full-bodied white with an irresistible drinkability that reminds us of how many bargain-buying opportunities there are in the region: versatile, delightful wines perfect for the everyday table.

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