From: Villamagna DOC, Abruzzo, Italy
Varietal: Montepulciano
Taste and Critical Acclaim: This handsome Montepulciano from Villamagna shows an impressive and well-balanced ratio between fruit, spice, and structure. Black cherry, mulberry, and plum skin are layered with sweet tobacco, clove, wood spices, licorice and walnut. This heady blend of aromas translates to a rich yet smooth, velvety palate where rounded tannins lead to a lengthy and pleasant finish.
“Aromas of plum, sweet spice and walnut. Medium-to full-bodied and a touch sweet. Complex, woody spice and tobacco on the palate with crushed red and black fruit. Drink now.” –James Sucking, 90 points (August 2022)
Pairing: This wine’s ability to cut through the richness of fatty meats and complement flavors with its herbal, earthy tones makes it an excellent partner with roasted meats, salami, game dishes, and classic Mediterranean courses. Ideal pairings include robust meat dishes like beef brisket, hamburgers, beef bolognese, tomato-based pasta dishes, and high-protein pizzas. It will significantly enhance the taste of smoked or grilled meats seasoned with Mediterranean herbs like sage, basil, rosemary, or thyme. Lastly, dishes incorporating allspice, five-spice, or garam masala would be a fantastic fit— like the Guava-Glazed Jerk Pork Tenderloin recipe we’re sharing below.
Guava-Glazed Jerk Pork Tenderloin
By Von Diaz
About. The Valle Martello winery stands on 50 hectares of vineyards in Abruzzo, between the coastline of the Adriatic Sea and the Majella Mountains—a distinctive feature of Abruzzo’s mountainous territory. Valle Martello’s vineyards occupy a key location on two hilltops facing each other—one facing north and one facing south—to capture ideal climatic conditions throughout the year. The winery produces a range of wines, including Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo, Pecorino, Cococciola, and Villamagna DOC.
Valle Martello's proprietor, Katia Masci, also serves as the president of the new Villamagna DOC, established in 2011. She is a dynamo in the region and a big reason why Villamagna exists.
A microscopic 85-hectare zone tucked inside of the greater Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC, Villamagna is named for the medieval village (of the same name). Villamagna comes from two Latin words: “Villa,” mansion, and “Magnus,” great. It’s no coincidence that in the past, it always served as the summer residence of the clergy, as demonstrated by the magnificent Archbishop Palace. Built in the 16th century, the structure overlooks the valley, offering a spectacular view of the seemingly endless vineyards.
The DOC sits squarely between the Majella Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, and “extreme” is the best way to describe the difference between wines from this DOC and those from the greater Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC. Villamagna has a larger diurnal temperature shift each day, richer mineral content in its soils, higher elevation vineyards, and a more rugged/mountainous terrain. This translates to wines made from Montepulciano with more color, deeper fruit, supercharged complexity, brighter acids, and longer length.
Mike Veseth makes the spot-on comparison in his article, “Villamagna DOC: Leading the Way for Montepulciano in Abruzzo.”: “the wines of Villamagna DOC are to Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines in general what Stags Leap is to Napa. You can see the family resemblance in each case, but the wine from the smaller region is distinctive and makes a strong impression.”
Valle Martello’s 2019 Villamagna DOC wine comes from a late harvest by manually picking selected grapes. These grapes fermented while macerating on their skins for 30 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine spent six months refining in barriques, then 12 months in bottle prior to release.
