That’s a breaking news already known to all wine lovers: Italy is a country rich in local vines and wines derived from them. One of the most characteristic red varieties, especially in the central regions, is Montepulciano grape. But there isn’t only one type of Montepulciano. We know Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, that’s a real Doc, and Montepulciano in the Marche region from which are born red Conero wines. Mount Conero is a small mountain of 572 meters above sea level near the city of Ancona, the regional capital. I want to talk today just about Rosso Conero wines.

Rosso Conero is considered in a sense the dark berry alter ego of the most famous wine of the Marches: the white Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.

Montepulciano of Marche creates completely different wines from the nearby Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The difference has originated from territory, the type of soil, the microclimate, the winemakers who work the vines. From Montepulciano grapes grown on light hills outside of Mount Conero born style of wines: a more immediate and ready drinkability, Rosso Conero Doc; the other more elegant who bet in refinement and aging, Conero Riserva DOCG. Therefore are as the two sides of the same coin, two different options to work on the same grape, Montepulciano, who have impressed me. Although the specification allows the use at least 85% of Montepulciano grapes, but most producers choose to make wines only from Montepulciano grapes. This is the best choice for my opinion!

So I like to define the Red Conero “Montepulciano of Sea”, that’s really different type from its “cousin” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo”. In fact, you can drink two completely different wines.

About the climate in Conero area is characterized by sea breezes while the type of soil is calcareous, poor but well-structured: they are the basic elements that upgrade the Montepulciano variety to express then in the Conero wine with a unique and unrepeatable typicality elsewhere.

Appellations Rosso Conero and Conero DOCG Riserva consists of more than 350 hectares of vineyards and more than 13 000 hectoliters of wine bottled as Red and Reserve: total 1,300,000 bottles produced. There are 54  winegrowers in Conero area.

But how are these two kind of wine? Wanting compare wine to some athlete, Conero Reserve DOCG is like a middle-distance runner: not allowed now, it has to breathe, but then extends to the distance, showing at its best with still fresh aromas in younger vintages and with more evolved flavours in oldest vintages. Good technique both in the vineyard and in the cellar of the winegrowers allows not marked the use of new woods: the result is a wine-grape variety correspondence integrates favored by the freshness of the Conero Montepulciano. That’s why even after 20-25 years you can taste great drinkability in Conero Reserve.

Totally different is Rosso Conero Doc, wich shows immediate and simple fruit aromas and red flowers. Usually this wine don’t know wood (winegrowers prefer vinification in stainless steel or vats of cement), and that – through no abrupt tannins – become a good match with seafood. The classic “Red Marine Wine”! And then the Rosso Conero Doc is a sprinter: goes and comes in few seconds.

Excellent wine estates for Rosso Conero are Fattoria Le Terrazze, Moroder, Garofoli, Umani Ronchi, Moncaro, La Calcinara, Angeli di Varano.

Conero Area, Marche

 

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