Marina Cvetic, S. Martino Rosso, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Reserva, Italy 2018

“The 2018 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva S. Martino Rosso Marina Cvetić is super rich and concentrated but also incredibly smooth and ironed out in terms of texture. The wine does taper down considerably on the palate, offering soft tannins and more reasonable human-sized black fruit concentration. The Masciarelli family does a top-notch job following the winemaking vision of the late and great Gianni Masciarelli.”-92WA, 2022-2028

Through tremendous vision and endless innovation, Masciarelli has not only become one of the most admired wineries in Italy, but is often regarded as the standard-bearer of the Abruzzo region. Founded in 1981 with only two hectares under vine, Gianni Masciarelli established rigorous quality-focused vineyard practices at a time when Abruzzo lacked direction as a wine region, taking his cues from Burgundy and Champagne and translating them to the varied terroirs of his home.

After years of continued experimentation with vineyard selection, reducing yields, working sustainably, and extended barrel aging, Masciarelli received due recognition as a groundbreaking and iconic winery in 2000, when the Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 1995 was awarded “Best Wine in Italy” by Gambero Rosso (the first Montepulciano to ever receive this distinction). To the Masciarelli family, however, this was only the first step to bringing Abruzzo to the world stage, where this up-and-coming variety was destined to take the spotlight for years to come.

Today, the winery is led by Marina Cvetić, who took over responsibilities after her husband (and business partner) Gianni’s untimely passing in 2008.  Marina is joined by daughter Miriam Lee Masciarelli, together serving as enthusiastic ambassadors to the Abruzzo region; their eagerness to share the context of these unique  wines amidst the extraordinary panoramic backdrop of mountains, valleys and sea is undoubtedly contagious.

The dedicated team at Masciarelli continues to honor Gianni’s vision and obsession with quality. Even as demand for production soars, they still insist that all wines (including their widely available “Linea Classica” Montepulciano, Trebbiano and Rosato) come from 100% estate-owned vineyards, many of which are among the most coveted sites in the region. Today, Masciarelli is the only producer in Abruzzo to own land in all four provinces (Chieti, Pescara, Teramo and l’Aquila).

As a testament to Masciarelli’s continued pursuit of higher standards, a plaque at the winery serves as a constant reminder:

“The search for quality is not a single action that can be remembered once a week or once a month, it is a constant thought we wake up with each morning and fall asleep with each evening.” – Gianni Masciarelli

The Montepulciano Marina Cvetic represents an intense and remarkable expression of one of the historical vines of Abruzzo.  The 100% Montepulciano comes from 8 of the estate’s top parcels and truly represents the summit of what Montepulciano can achieve. Villa Gemma may be the most famous Montepulciano produced by Masciarelli, the only Italian wine to win the coveted Tre Bicchieri award 14 times (and counting), but many view the Marina Cvetic Montepucliano as its equal in quality, differing only in style, and often benefiting from the fact it is blended from parcels crossing a range of altitudes and soils.