Wines

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Notari Docg

Notàri is the ancient name of our town, Notaresco, but also a name we chose to conjure up the character of our hills, gazing out to sea with the Gran Sasso massif standing guard. The first vintage was in 2003 and Montepulciano is a blend of three heirloom vineyards of different ages, aspecting and training systems.

Technical Specifications
Type	Red
Designation:	Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG Area: Abruzzo, Teramo hills Variety: Montepulciano 100%
Vineyards	Municipality: Notaresco Altitude: 300 meters Aspecting: East/South Soils: Medium-textured limestone and clay Training System: Spurred cordon, Guyot, Abruzzo pergola Density: 1,600-2,500 plants/hectare Average age of the vineyard: 35 years Average Yield: 70 quintals/hectare Harvest Method: By hand in 20kg crates
Vinification:	Destemming followed by 10 days on skins. Alcoholic fermentation at controlled temperature in steel tanks . The wine is decanted to 500l first- and second-passage French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and 12 months maturation. After gentle filtration, the wine is assembled and bottled. Bottle Ageing: 6 months Production: 20,000 750ml bottles and 200 1.5l magnum bottles.
Sensory Profile:	The intense ruby red hues are tinged with violet. The nose is swathed in forest berries like blackberry and blueberry, then cloves, lavender and rosemary. The stylish palate is tangy, with mineral notes and closes with lengthy hints of blackcurrant and a balsamic nuance.
Serving Companions:	Excellent with hot, spicy cuisine, or with Abruzzo’s classic dishes like lamb “cacio e ovo”.
Serving Temperature:	16-18 °C

2015 NICODEMI NOTARI MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO DOCG

Fattoria Nicodemi

Fattoria Nicodemi is in Notaresco, in the heart of the Colline Teramane zone. The hilly estate covers a single plot of 38 hectares, of which 30 are under vine. The land, at about 300 metres in altitude, is aspected to the south east, with Mount Gran Sasso watching its back, and the sea at about 10 kilometres. At the farm they work with organic practices, with no use of chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers on the vines, preferring spontaneous grassing in the rows. In the same spirit, the new vineyards are planted with a mass selection taken from our heirloom vines. We believe in biodiversity and even our new vines are selected from our heirloom cultivars, because something that was good in the past can play a role in the future.

Abruzzo

Italy is seldom known for the simplicity of its wines, yet the ruggedly mountainous region of Abruzzo offers an abundance of delightful, uncomplicated wines that tend to represent good value.

The region has three main, historical DOCs, including the red Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and white Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. The third DOC Controguerra is also for wines based on Montepulciano and other native grapes. Not to be confused with the town in Tuscany whose exceptional Vino Nobile is also gaining international recognition, the Montepulciano grape has gained a substantial following for its fruit-forward, complex yet approachable reds.

Some of the best wines come from the Teramo area, where a single DOCG exists for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane, while some classic rosé wines – known as Cerasuolo - are now offered under their own DOC appellation. The new Abruzzo DOC has several interesting, high-quality sub-zones for Montepulciano wines, such as Terre di Casauria, Terre dei Vestini and Alto Tirino.

The Trebbiano grape is best known for dry, light and easy drinking wines with subtle citrus flavours. However some interesting wines are being developed from the "authentic" Trebbiano d’Abruzzo grape, which some think to be related to Apulia’s Bombino Bianco. They are capable of developing in bottle for a few years into wines of great character and complexity.