Recently I wrote about Poderi dal Nespoli, one of the wineries that falls under Argea, the largest private wine group in Italy. Today I’m highlighting the Cantina Zaccagnini winery, also a part of Argea, that is located in Italy’s 5th largest region in area, Abruzzo. The virtual tasting I attended online walked through several Zaccagnini wines led by Italian wine expert, Filippo Bartoletta. Let’s discover more about the Abruzzo wine region, its most produced grape, Montepulciano, and the many expressions that Zaccagnini produces under their Tralcetto line of wines today.
The Abruzzo wine region
The Abruzzo region is “wild....and one of the greenest regions in Europe”, as Filippo described. It’s rather small in size with about 1.3 million inhabitants. To give you some perspective, the city of Manhattan, NY is larger in size. That’s because a lot of the terrain of Abruzzo is dominated by mountains, hills and forests, but is nicely balanced with over 130 km of coastline along the Adriatic Sea. About two thirds of the region sits above 750 meters above sea level. Several mountain ranges are located throughout the region including the Gran Sasso, Magella and Monti Sibilini.
If you’re one that enjoys national parks, 6% of the region is covered by 4 national parks and 30 natural reserves. It contains the oldest National Park in Italy, Parco Nationale d’Abruzzo, that was established in 1923 that also spans into the Lazio and Molise regions. You’ll also find a UNESCO World Heritage site with its old beech forests of 500 years in age. Personally, I’d love to travel that park myself with its abundance of wildlife to include Marsican brown bears, Apennine wolves, golden eagles, chamois, and deer.
The makeup of Abruzzo wines
The grape that probably comes to the forefront of your mind when you think of Abruzzo wines is Montepulciano, and it wouldn’t be any surprise since this grape makes up 57% of the vineyards in Abruzzo. alongside Montepulciano, you’ll find Trebbiano Toscano (16%) and Trebbiano Abruzzese (7%). Pecorino and Chardonnay trail closely behind. Abruzzo’s shining star though is the Montepulciano grape. It can be found in 80% of Abruzzo’s DOC wines, which is the 3rd top DOC in Italy. Montepulciano is a late ripening grape that is deep ruby in color with aromas of cherry, red berries, licorice and violet and dark, plush fruits that show a rustic appeal likes the terrain from which it hails.
In the 80’s Montepulciano became a prominent grape to be found in the wine world due to a number of producers’ efforts working with this grape, including Zaccagnini.
The Zaccagnini Wines
Zaccagnini is one of Abruzzo’s known producers, crafting wines from the rugged hillsides of this central Italian region. At the heart of their portfolio stands the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape
The winemaker of Zaccagnini, Federica Lauterio, joined us during the tasting to talk further about the variety of their wines. Filippo stated that the Tralcetto line of wines is the "brand ambassador of Abruzzo”. Their wines are highly exported, and the wine bottles are always easy to catch your eyes in the store. They are wrapped with grape vine shoots to give the bottle an artistic twist that was created by the founder in the 70’s.
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| vine shoots on the bottles of Zaccagnini wines |
The 2024 Zaccagnini Tralcetto Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC is Abruzzo’s rose. It‘s a red grape processed like a white. If you’re not familiar with how these wines get the beautiful color that they have, it is achieved by the amount of skin contact that the juice has with the skins. The Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC was created in 2010 and is only for rose.
This wine spends a short maceration for color and then sits on the must in the stainless-steel tank for 10 days before fermentation. This wine is a deeper pink with aromas of fresh cherry. This is a medium-bodied wine with notes of sour cherries with crisp, refreshing acidity. If you love a heavier body of a red, but the freshness of a white then this is the wine to try. ABV 12.5%
The 2022 Zaccagnini Tralcetto Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC is macerated for 15 days during fermentation and aged on the lees in stainless steel. This wine is deep ruby in color with purplish hues. Dark cherry aromas and medium-bodied on the palate filled with dark fruits and soft tannin. ABV 13%
The 2021 Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva spends 20 days in fermentation in large oak casks and 18 months aging with 9 of those months in barrique. This wine comes from a single vineyard in the Valle Casauria. Deep ruby in color with aromas of ripe red fruits, cherry on the forefront, with a hint of pepper. Medium-bodied on the palate with bright acidity up front, plush red fruits and a pleasant elegance. ABV 14%
With an array of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo to be explored from everyday sippers to ageworthy wines, the dedication to this grape that Zaccagnini and other producers have shown, allows consumers like us to explore the vast terrain of Abruzzo and these authentic wines.
You can find many Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines, including those from Cantina Zaccagnini, on Wine.com to try. I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels.
*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.