De Fermo
De Fermo, Concrete, Abruzzo, Italy, Montepulciano, 2022
Montepulciano can be a misunderstood term in wine because it's a grape varietal, but also a place and then I think sometimes people mistake it with Montalcino, which is tied to Brunello and made from Sangiovese grapes. THIS is one hundred percent Montepulciano grapes, made in Abruzzo and it is made by one of my favorite Abruzzo wine makers: De Fermo. They do natural wine the right way: full of energy, life, flavor and no flaws. The name sort of sums up the identity of this wine: Concrete rosso. It's red wine that is aged in concrete, so void of any wood influence or softening, it’s kind of like a fresh and youthful take on Montepulciano. The wine only undergoes a mere 4 days of maceration, which is not very long at all for red wine. The result is charming, breezy and blissed out. The wine unrefined and unfiltered with a little bit of Montepulciano’s classic overripe red fruit sap sneaking in, which joins the raw freshness as an all around juicy jubilee. I really love this wine and I love it even more with a slight chill on it.
Serving temp: Slightly chilled, but also it’s serious enough to be absolutely lovely at cellar temp around 65 degrees
Pairing: Lean into Abruzzese fair like Spaghetti alla Chitarra, bacala or arrosticini!!