Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

[2][3] In the late 20th and early 21st century, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo earned a reputation as one of the most widely exported DOC wines in Italy.

The hillside vineyards, particularly in the northern areas, are planted on calcareous clay and benefit from warm and significant sun exposure, ventilated by dry breezes from the Adriatic Sea.

[6] Several subzones have been defined in the DOC rules that delineate small areas producing higher quality wines, and impose stricter requirements.

[8] The mountainous province of L'Aquila is noted mainly for the dry rosato wine labeled as Cerasuolo and now a separate DOC.

[6] These northern provinces benefit from having less fertile soils with more ferrous clay and limestone, and higher elevations as the Apennines draw closer to the Adriatic.

[6] According to Italian wine expert Joe Bastianich, Montepulciano d'Abruzzos can be highly aromatic with earthy notes and black berries and have inky-purple color with a thick, almost syrupy mouthfeel.

According to Bastianich, Cerasuolo tend to be medium-bodied and rather hearty for an Italian rosato with aromas of orange peel, cinnamon, strawberry and dried cherries.