Tiberio, 'Colle Vota' Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2019

2019 Tiberio 'Colle Vota'  94+VM
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

94+ Vinous
The 2019 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colle Vota is intense, trading grace for power in this vintage, with a burst of dried black cherries, dusty sage, roses and Indian spice forming its bouquet. This splashes across the palate, spicy with ultra-ripe wild berry fruits that saturate, expertly balanced by a core of zesty acidity. The 2019 leaves a staining of primary concentration and grippy tannins, puckering the cheeks with youthful tension as salted licorice and balsamic spice notes fade. The 2019 Colle Vota will require time to fully blossom as it is primary and palate-staining today. Of note, production was down by a whopping 45% due to issues during budding.

Varietal: 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo clone adapted to its specific, new environment made up of different soils, subsoils, and microclimate, leading to the development of a new Montepulciano biotype that expresses itself with a very distinct, more perfumed and refined wine
Altitude: 350 meters a.s.l. – 1200  feet a.s.l.
Soil: Limestone, marly-clay over a sandstone-rich bedrock
Fermentations: Indigenous yeasts, in stainless steel tanks.
Aging: 24 months in tank, 12 in bottle. (NO OAK)
Colle Vota is not a “Riserva” but is a “Single Vineyard” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The Montepulciano that grows in the Colle Vota vineyard has different characteristics that separate it neatly from all the other Montepulciano we grow in our vineyards at Tiberio. The grape bunches and berries are much smaller, with crunchier and thicker skins. The Colle Vota Montepulciano also takes longer to mature, and this vineyard’s specific microclimate provides a longer hang time, producing a truly unique Montepulciano wine.  Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine made from the Colle Vota grapes are uniquely refined and light on its feet, combining elements reminiscent of Burgundy’s Pinot Noir and Piedmont’s Nebbiolo wines, while maintaining a Montepulciano backbone and soul.