MCF Rare Wine

Amorotti - All The Good Things At Once
 
The Amorotti estate in Abruzzo is (very) young, in terms of bottling its own wine - 2016 was the first vintage (which we proudly and loudly sold to all of you).

The land, the family and the old cellar in the ancient hill town of Loreto Aprutino, however, have deep roots, to say the least.

Proprietor Gaetano Carboni's grandfather was the first producer of extra virgin olive oil to export to the US (1905) and they still run an olive oil museum in town.  Production of olive oil has been, and still remains, their core family business, with the vineyard holdings historically only used to produce wine for personal consumption.

Since the 1990s, however, Gaetano has been slowly bringing his dream of estate wine production to fruition.  Beginning with a refurbishment of the old cellar (1992) and then replanting the vineyards (1999), while all along seeking sage advice on the art of old-school Abruzzese production from some of the most noble names in the region, most notably, his neighbor in Loreto, the legendary Edoardo Valentini, who, in addition to offering cellar guidance, served as his main stylistic inspiration.  

Everyone reading this who knows even a bit about southern Italian wine, will, upon hearing all of this, certainly have their interest piqued.

Here we are with a fresh set of wines from Gaetano, who dropped by last week to show them to us, and, to use the lamest, most cliché salesman-y, yet, in this case, entirely true, phrase - the wines keep getting better.

Gaetano's Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2021 may be the most profound of his wines at the moment, and he'll be the first to tell you that it's the one that, along with the Cerasuolo, currently garners all the praise in Italy.  Fans of the two local legends, Pepe and Valentini, will have a lot to love here - plenty of deep, herbaceous, flowery, smoky and pungently earthy character, all delivered with that wonderfully oily texture, and at...you know...like...half the price of the other two???

Then, we have his Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 2021 (the classic rosé of Montepulciano in the region), which, when compared to the Cerasuolo of the legends 1 & 2, is a much different wine.  Rather than long soaks with the dark montepulciano berries, with eyes on a wine of longevity, Gaetano rather strives for a fresher, more lifted expression.  It's actually made in the exact same way that the Trebbiano is - a very quick soak, followed by spontaneous fermentation in Slavonian oak, the same barrel it then rests in for 12 months.

In its structure and mineral spice, this is certainly a Cerasuolo, classic to the bone, but it's also high-toned, aromatic and refreshing, as well.  Just lovely.

Where the Trebbiano and Cerasuolo garner all the attention in Italy, it's his Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that we Americans are going crazy for.  And the best part is that we have two quite different, but equally profound vintages on offer today.

First, the lighter, airier, saltier Montepulciano 2018, which, in its sprightly, bouncier personality, makes for a wine well suited to this time of year, when you're in need of something with a lot of flavor, but not too much weight or tannin.

Then we have the richer Montepulciano 2019, which, despite its outsized personality, is really still quite energetic too.  It has a darker, more textured fruit to it, and a more deeply earthy core, yes, but it'll still make you chuckle with pleasure at its witty disposition.

Both wines are in a joyous, youthful state at the moment, but I really look forward to seeing how they evolve in the coming years, as well.

Gaetano is doing amazing work, both in terms of what's in the glass, and in terms of carrying Abruzzo into the future.

These wines are delicious, profound, fun and oozing with soul. 

All the good things at once...

AMOROTTI
Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2021
Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 2021
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2018
Montepucliano d'Abruzzo 2019

You may order by calling 212.255.8870.

Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870

Looking for a wine you loved from a past newsletter or a favorite you can't find anywhere?  Email Raphael at raphael@mcf-rarewine.com, and we'll do our best to find it for you!