Deep ruby color; plum, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, pepper on the nose and palate.
Dry; smooth tannins and demure acidity. Classic dark fruit easy drinker. Does not sport depth and complexity, but is very pleasant and agreeable. Medium body. Round, succulent, approachable. Smokey, sweet finish—the sweet comes from ripe grapes, not residual sugar. Low alcohol augurs well for pairing with food. 13% ABV
Grapes—100% montpulciano—hand harvested, destemmed, soft-pressed. Maceration for up to 10 days in stainless steel fermentation tanks. Fermentation in stainless steel, followed by malolactic fermentation. Aged in stainless steel for four months.
Umani Ronchi got its start in Cupramontana, in the heart of the Verdicchio Classico production zone more than 60 years ago, then expanded to other areas on the Adriatic coast. The website notes: “It was Gino Umani Ronchi who wrote its first chapters. He did so by bringing to life a small farm in Le Marche. Then came along Roberto Bianchi, a building contractor from Ancona with a deep passion for agriculture, and his son-in-law Massimo Bernetti, a recent political science graduate with his sights set on a career in diplomacy.”
In 1968, Roberto Bianchi and his son-in-law Massimo Bernetti acquired the brand and winery. In 1973, Massimo Bernetti expanded sales abroad, increased production, and increased areas under vines, expanding in the region from Le Marche to Abruzzo. Massimo’s son, Michele, joined the winery as the general sales manager in 1990. The father-son team enhanced the winery’s international reputation through awards. In 2015, they completed the conversion of all their vineyards to organic farming.
Montepulciano is classic grape of central Italy, most prominently in Abruzzo, where this wine is made. This wine is 100% montepulciano, the major grape in the Abruzzo region of eastern Italy, east of Rome; the Apennine Mountains are the western border, the Adriatic Sea the eastern border.
There is a Tuscan town (75 miles southeast of Florence) named Montepulciano where very highly valued Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made—but that red wine does not use Montepulciano grapes, it uses sangiovese. That famous red wine gets its name because it only is made in the town of that name. Surely you are not surprised wine can be so confusing, especially in the Old World.
Umani Ronchi Podere Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2021 is juicy, easy-going everyday wine. Will not challenge your palate with tannins, acidity, or depth, but it will softly entertain you with dark fruit flavors and plush amiability. Good QPR. Well worth a fling if you want a weekday quaff without baggage. Pair with sausages, a classic pairing with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo; beef, especially not heavily marbled cuts; pasta dishes of all sorts with red or white sauces; veal; lamb; pork—pork tenderloin; comfort food—meatloaf, pizza, mac & cheese. Cheese—parmesan, monterey jack, cheddar, cacioricotta, pampanella, caciocavallo abruzzese. $12-15
