Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The soils of the zone are clay-loam in nature, with looser intercalations in the coastal strip, and are characterised by gentle slopes and good sun exposure.
• The vineyard soils derive from marine sedimentary deposits dating from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene, with a tendency toward sandier textures in the coastal zone. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Mean annual rainfall ranges from 700 mm/year in the coastal strip to 800 mm/year in the inland hills, with the wettest period falling between October and December.
• The climate is temperate, trending toward warm-temperate in the summer months, with mean temperatures of 13 °C in April–May and peaks of 24–25 °C in July and August, favoured by significant diurnal temperature ranges and ventilation linked to the proximity of the Gran Sasso and the Monti della Laga.
• The Winkler heat summation index — that is, the mean active temperature over the April–October period — exceeds 2,000 degree-days, ensuring full ripening of Montepulciano and Sangiovese.

• A historical reference cited in the production rules dates back to Polybius, who connects the winemaking tradition of the Teramo area to Hannibal's campaigns of 216 BC and the victory at Cannae.
• Producers adopt yields for Montepulciano that are considerably lower than those of other appellations, with no yield surpluses permitted, and forgo the practice of enrichment in the making of the wines.

• The colour is deep ruby with slight violet hues in young wines, tending toward garnet as the wine ages.
• The nose is intense and ethereal, with notes of ripe red fruits in younger wines that evolve toward jam and spice in more aged examples, while the palate is dry, tannic, harmonious, and velvety.

• The significant diurnal temperature ranges, ensured by the hilly terrain and the proximity of the Gran Sasso and the Monti della Laga, allow Montepulciano grapes to ripen fully and enable the concentration of aromatic compounds in the berry skins.
• The concentration of fixed acids in the pulp, favoured by diurnal temperature ranges during the ripening phase, gives rise to long-lived wines with an excellent capacity for ageing.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0876
• Official trade body site — Consorzio di Tutela Vini Colline Teramane DOCG