2022 Torre Zambra Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colle Maggio

Not only is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo a place, it is a grape as well. Once considered an easy-going pizza wine, some producers have raised the standard by producing more serious versions of it. Like this one. It’s medium bodied, with herbal, earthy and smoky spices wrapped around the black fruited structure. The winemaker’s results here are often reminiscent of some red wines from the southern Rhone Valley.

Torre Zambra was founded in 1961 in Abruzzo by the De Cerchio family. Now the fourth generation, namely Federico De Cerchio, continues to promote the family estate globally. The vineyards are in the hills at elevations between 400-650 feet, located halfway down Italy’s boot, west of Pescara, overlooking the Adriatic.

Think comfort foods like baked pasta dishes, or assertive pasta sauces like Puttanesca. Elevate any pizza with a glass of this robust red.

92 points, Vinous
"The 2022 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colle Maggio is more savory than sweet, with a pleasantly earthy bouquet that mixes dusty earth and worn leather with wild strawberries and rose. Soothingly round and supple, it smooths over the palate with masses of ripe red and blue fruits, gaining a more tactile feel as grippy tannins mount toward the close. This finishes long, staining and structured, yet the tannins are sweet and soft in their contours." - Eric Guido