$23.99 on 12+ (code: 12SAVES2)

92 pts Vinous
Drinking Window 2025 - 2029
The 2024 Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosa-Ae is a deep translucent red hue with violet shadings. It lifts from the glass with an enticing bouquet of white cherries, wildflowers and chalk dust. The 2024 is energetic and crisply refreshing, with depths of ripe strawberry fruits and tactile mineral tones that add lovely traction toward the close. This has a long, tense finish, with pleasantly chewy tannins, nuances of cranberry and rosy inner florals. Vibrant and intense, the 2024 is a real winner. - By Eric Guido on May 2025

Fausto Albanesi’s wines are a perfect example of how new oak can be an excellent pairing with Montepulciano when used judiciously. His lineup of reds impresses from top to bottom, with one of the best entry-level offerings in the region. At the top of the pyramid, the rich and sensual Mazzamurello and the complex and structured Cocciapazza provide collectors with a choice of instant gratification over the medium term or delayed satisfaction over the long term. During this visit, Albanesi opened a 2004 Cocciapazza that was a model of perfect maturity. It’s important to note that even in today’s market, the current release sells for under $50. That’s a remarkable relative value in my book. As for the whites, they are just as enjoyable, if a bit less complex, but that’s splitting hairs. The new Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Diverto, sourced from sandy soils just four kilometers from the coast in Francavilla al Mare, is a shining example of the depths that these wines can achieve—vertical, deeply mineral and built for the cellar. In the difficult 2023 vintage, Albanesi fared better than many of his neighbors, with a 30% reduction in red wines but far less effect on the white wines.

This is a wine made by 2 methods of pressing: part direct-press and part saignee. I did not get to try this one but it sounds fantastic!

At our estate this is the first Montepulciano expression of a vintage and the first indicator of its quality. Extremely careful selection in the vineyard and on the sorting table. A wine enriched by fresh flavors due to low-temperature fermentation, giving further proof of the flexibility of Montepulciano. - Winery

Varietal: 100% Montepulciano
Altitude: 250-300 meters a.s.l.
Soil Composition: Mainly clay-limestone
Vine Age: Planted 1972, 1995
Fermentations: Partially from bleeding red grapes saignee, partially from a white vinification of the whole bunches, part from a maceration with the skins at cold temperature. Fermentation in steel at 15-16C. A short period of aging in steel.