SOLD OUT! The 2016 Masciarelli Montepulciano Marina Cvetic is one of the finest Montepulcianos on the planet. And the highly acclaimed 2016 vintage has yielded one of the best versions of this wine this famed estate has ever produced.
Rated 93 points by the Wine Advocate and 93+ points by Jeb Dunnuck, this is a wine that propels the often humble and rustic Montepulciano grape to new heights. Possessing gorgeously ripe fruit along with silky texture and round tannins, it’s a world-class wine and we’re offering it up at one of the best prices in the country.
2016 Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva ‘Marina Cvetic’
93+ points Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points Wine Advocate
SOLD OUT
Gianni Masciarelli, more than any other person or producer, helped elevate the Montepulciano grape to greatness. Often considered a hearty, rustic and simple “pizza wine” and there’s nothing wrong with that, he and his wife Marina Cvetic Masciarelli dedicated their lives to producing Montepulciano that transcended this modest designation. And I’d say they more than succeeded.
Great wine is made in the vineyard and the Masciarelli family are firm proponents of this philosophy. Their Marina Cvetic bottling comes from 8 of the estate’s top parcels crossing a range of altitudes and soils. These 8 specific vineyards range in altitude from 480 to 1,200 feet with soils of calcareous clay and lime. After maceration and fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is transferred to French barriques for a further 12-18 months of aging before bottling.
The warm, sunny and dry 2016 vintage, considered one of the best of the 21st century, yielded a dramatically delicious Montepulciano. Deep, dark and concentrated, this one offers up seductive and sexy aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, plum and loads of spicy, toasty, integrated oak. Structured yet elegant on the palate, it offers tremendous length, satisfaction and complexity. Drink this beautiful, stylish Italian red now and over the next 5-7 years.
And just to provide you extra “evidence” that this is good stuff, here’s what the critics had to say. Dunnuck called it “another beautiful release from this estate” offering up “notes of spiced blackberries, scorched earth, smoked herbs, chocolate, and spring flowers.” And the Wine Advocate called it “a formidable wine that opens to a stirring presentation of luscious black fruit, spice, tar and licorice.” And last but not least, Vinous Media simply called it “a truly lovely red wine.”
This is yet another in a string of incredible deals I’ve been able to offer you. If ever there were a wine worthy of slow braised Osso Buco, this is the one.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville