Montepulciano Testarossa 2019 – Pasetti Vini

Pasetti’s history has its roots in the “Bourbons” era when Silvestro Pasetti purchased several parcels of land and began planting vineyards. Silvestro’s dream was carried on by his son Rocco, who never gave up, especially when faced with and defeated the phylloxera plague.
Currently, Mimmo runs the winery, torn between the desire to thoroughly preserve the heritage of beloved Abruzzo and his natural inclination for innovation.
Francesca, Mimmo’s eldest daughter, had red hair, just like the beautiful Madame Rachele, Franco’s mother. Franco bottled the “Testarossa” Montepulciano and Trebbiano wines as a tribute to these two charming women who represent the symbol of the family’s past and future. Today, Testarossa is the most representative brand of the Pasetti winery.
All of Pasetti’s wines are produced in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. These wines reflect a commitment to staying connected to local places and native grape varieties. The red Testarossa is made with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes, while other wines are produced from Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Pecorino, and Passerina white grape varieties. Pasetti also produces a wonderful sweet white wine made from Moscatello di Castiglione grapes, an ancient variety that has nearly disappeared.
At a time when many viticulturists were planting international grape varieties like Cabernet, Merlot, and Chardonnay, Mimmo decided to focus on native grapes. He was confident that these grapes would yield excellent results when grown in suitable soils. With this certainty, Mimmo revived an ancient vine variety: Pecorino. The gamble paid off, and today Pecorino wine presents great opportunities for the entire Abruzzo winemaking community.

Montepulciano

It is a red wine grape widely grown in central Italy, particularly in the Abruzzo, Marche, Tuscany, and Molise regions. Montepulciano wines are globally appreciated for their soft flavours and intense color pigments. The gentle tannins and medium acidity create a medium-bodied wine that is best enjoyed within a few years of bottling. However, this variety also responds well to judicious use of oak, resulting in a richer, age-worthy style of wine. The deep purple juice is used in varying proportions in roughly 30 of Italy’s DOC and DOCG designations.
Montepulciano blends well with other varieties, with the most successful being Sangiovese, its close relative and Italy’s most widely planted grape variety. This blend is permitted in several DOC appellations across Italy, but most notably in the Marche DOCs of Rosso Piceno and Rosso Conero on the Adriatic coast.