Ciavolich
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
2022
Abruzzo
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOP
Montepulciano 100%
12 Months
Stainless Steel
100%
Black cherry, Black pepper, Tobacco, Blackberry.
About
Ciavolich 2022 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
In Loreto Aprutino, in Contrada Salmacina, there is the heart of the estate’s production. A total of 35 hectares of vineyards, 3 hectares of olive groves, 10 hectares of arable land that surround the farmstead and the winery. The 35 hectares of vineyards are half planted with pergola Abruzzese from missal selection and half with guyot from clonal selection. During the last few years we have started a work of enhancing the original genetic heritage of the vines that were planted in the 1960s has begun in earnest.
The vineyards for the production of this Montepulciano are located in Pianella, which has the characteristic to be positioned next to a small natural lake. The proximity to the lake allows the roots of the vines to stay humid even during the dry season. This freshness is found in the wine, elevated in stainless steel to leave unaltered this natural characteristic.
Full bodied, dark fruit but maintains a freshness that makes it very drinkable and food friendly.
Pairings
In a Pinch
Pasta bolognese.
Deeper Dive
Showing brooding dark fruit up front, Chiara’s effort here will surprise you on the back end with it’s elegance. A shorter maceration than it’s bigger sibling Divus and exclusively stainless steel aging before the bottle really keep this as the ultimate utility wine for rustic Italian fare. Your weeknight red sauce, with or without animal protein, plays beautifully here. Don’t shy away from your nonna’s braciola as there is plenty of heft to maintain it’s posture should some be on the menu. Need a red for charcuterie? You’ve found it.
Pairing Scale
This is a general guide to give you an idea where this wine falls in a spectrum of dish complexities.
Steer Clear
Anything too light and delicate will be lost. Think inland Abruzzo rather than the famous seafood of the Trabacchi coast. Roast chicken and vegetables will be great, but no fish.
Cheeses
Caciocavallo
Caciocavallo
Country: Italy
Animal: Cow
Type: Semi-hard
Texture: Elastic, firm
Rind: Edible
Style: Smooth, earthy
Provolone
Provolone
Country: Italy
Animal: Cow
Type: Semi-hard
Texture: Firm
Rind: Edible
Style: Smooth, tangy
Pecorino
Pecorino
Country: Italy
Animal: Sheep
Type: Hard
Texture: Grainy
Rind: Edible
Style: Salty, tangy, nutty
Recipe Ideas
Service
Which glasses?
Go with large Bordeaux glasses if you have them, otherwise all-purpose works just fine.
Should I decant this?
Why "Yes"?
There are layers here which can be coaxed out with some oxygen. Very enjoyable out of the bottle but pour your glass before you start cooking and you’ll be treated to a more complex wine.
How long?
Generally you would want to decant a younger wine for longer to help it open up and be cautious of exposing older wines to oxygen for too long. There are always exceptions of course, but this is a pretty good rule to follow.
Serving Temp
The correct serving temperature is important to show a wine’s true potential, but don’t stress over getting the temp exactly right. Use the chart below to try to get in the right ballpark.
Aging
When should I open this?
If a wine has been released by the producer and is available for sale, it means it is ready to drink. Wines don’t necessarily get “better” with age, they just change. Typically, this change involves things like losing fresh fruit flavors in exchange for more savory notes.
The moment you should open the bottle depends on your preference, so it’s more important to understand the evolution and the life span of the bottle than it is to try to time its opening perfectly. (It’s far better to open a bottle too early than too late.)
This bottle should probably be opened between:
2025 – 2038
Producer
ABOUT US
The Story
The Ciavolich family is an old family of wool merchants of Bulgarian origins who, to escape the advance of the Saracen invasion, took refuge in Italy in the town of Miglianico, in the province of Chieti around 1560.
The transition to land owners happened during the XVIII century. In 1853 Francesco Ciavolich built in Miglianico, opposite his private residence, the first winery, nowadays one of the most ancient and suggestive in Abruzzo, where to work independently grapes that came from the surrounding lands. At the end of the XIX century an important marriage marked the future path of the winery on Loreto Aprutino’s side: the one between Giuseppe Ciavolich and the noblewoman Ernesta Vicini from Loreto Aprutino. Donna Ernesta gave life in her private building in Chieti to one of the most active literary salon of the early century receiving among others her friends Costantino Bardella and Francesco Paolo Michetti.
Her son Giustino was a cavalry officer during World War I and on returning during his retirement, he took care of the family’s properties passing down to his son Giuseppe Ciavolich the love for the land and a burning desire to hand down the estate. In autumn 1943 just after harvest, the German troops while retreating placed their general headquarters on the higher floors of the private residence in Miglianico allowing the family to stay in the underground winery. On 8th December of that same year the SS forced their evacuation. That was the last harvest to be produced in the ancient underground winery.
In the 1960s from the inheritance division of Donna Ernestina, the family received the estate of Loreto Aprutino, in the province of Pescara, of circa 50 hectares. Here Giuseppe Ciavolich planted Montepulciano, Trebbiano and Cococciola varieties.
