SOLD OUT! The Illuminati Riparosso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is another stellar effort from this esteemed producer. Many of you enjoyed the Ilico Montepulciano from this same producer. The Riparosso is the estate’s more entry level wine, but trust me, it’s far from simple.
When we sold our last bottle of Ilico just before Christmas, my sales rep dropped a bottle of this one off for us to try. Team Table Wine unanimously loved this one, and you will too. I guarantee it!
2018 Illuminati Riparosso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
90 points Wine Enthusiast
SOLD OUT
A good bottle of Montepulciano is Italy’s answer to Italian Cotes du Rhone. Like Cotes du Rhone, it provides satisfying and comforting flavors without breaking the bank. And this one, from a single, hillside vineyard, is a blockbuster and a great introduction to the joys of Montepulciano.
You will be amazed at the quality-to-price ratio on this one. Compared to the Ilico, the Riparosso is a little more fruit-driven, but don’t imply that to mean it’s fruity or sweet. Far from it, this one walks a fine line, balancing ripe dark cherry and plum fruit with zesty acidity and a bit of tannin.
Fermented in stainless steel vats and aged for 8 months in oak, this one jumps out of the glass with gorgeous notes of dark fruits, exotic spices, licorice, and smoky herb. Full bodied and plump on the palate, this one is packed with flavor and possesses ripe tannin and great balance. In a nutshell, it’s a wine that offers serious complexity at a great price, yet it remains totally pleasure-bent and easy to understand.
Wine Enthusiast reviewed this one very favorably, and their notes are similar to mine. “Savory tones of dried tobacco and mentholated herbs ride over a ripe bramble-berry core on the nose. The light-bodied palate follows suit, adding in a tangy crushed stone. There’s real grip to the tannins but the succulent, crunchy fruit offers a fine counterbalance.”
Drink this charming red with pizza, chicken parm, or any other classic Amer-Italian dishes. You will be a very happy camper! Cheers to happy drinking and eating in Asheville!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville