‘Nordic’ Montepulciano

Conero, be it Rosso or Riserva, is the wine of Ancona and is produced a stone’s throw from the city. And although this may be a city wine, it is made on a small mountain on the coast named Conero, hence the wine’s name.  Mt Conero is a chalky promontory that sticks out into the Adriatic – creating some of the region’s most beautiful beaches – and it is considered the northern boundary for the production of Montepulciano grapes, which grow continuously southwards to Puglia. The largest areas of production are Piceno, in the southern part of the Marche region, and all of Abruzzo, from Colline Teramane to Vasto.

Montepulciano sometimes has problems ripening on Conero and this results in reds that have pasty or heavy tannins, something rare in the other areas where the grapes are grown. But when everything goes right, the mountain can produce wines that are right up there with the best from Abruzzo. In these cases the tannins are more lively and ‘Tuscan-esque’ making the mouthfeel slightly more direct, even if always nicely structured.

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