Montepulciano was a grape that I thought I’d left in the distant past: The carafes of soft, plodding table wine ordered alongside spaghetti and mozzarella sticks. To a college-age Wine Fairy, “Montepulciano” sounded sophisticated and worldly. It seemed like a step up from the house Chianti in the wicker basket, if only because it was harder to say.
Later, those inexpensive, plummy reds from Abruzzo gradually fell out of rotation. I began to chase older bottles, more savory flavors, stronger acids and tannins. Montepulciano rarely, if ever, crossed my mind.
But the grape came crashing back into my life in a big way last year, when I tasted my first Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. It’s now a must-order whenever I see it on a menu–a nimble, chimeric wine that’s capable of bridging the gap between seasons and between courses.
Today’s Cerasuolo is an afternoon treat made by Ciavolich. Their family vineyards lie in the Loreto Aprutino commune in Abruzzo’s province of Pescara.
It shows a saturated Tiger’s Blood-red with orange reflections. Pink cherry and hibiscus lead, with a more subtle aromatic layer emerging next—crushed mint, lemon balm, a touch of hyssop. It’s dry and medium-bodied with a moderate tannic grip. The acidity sits on the softer side, which makes it easy to drink but keeps it from fully snapping into focus.
The flavors are of cherry and cranberry juice with bruised rose petals and a lingering hint of candied orange. It almost tastes like a pink-gin cocktail: Berries, citrus, and herbs resolving themselves into a lightly bitter, botanical finish. (The 2023 is best enjoyed now, while the fruit is still lively.)
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo comes from the same territory as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, and the same variety. The difference is in the wine-making. For Cerasuolo, the juice is drained off the skins after a short maceration, leaving a paler, lighter-bodied wine with delicate herbal and floral flavors.
The thick-skinned, highly pigmented Montepulciano is capable of producing vibrant rosato wines after just a few hours of skin contact. Indeed, many producers consider the ceraza (cherry-red hue) a defining trait of Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo–even a fifth wine color. Italy’s Consorzio di Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo is currently working to codify the shades of its Cerasuolo within the DOC regulations.
The debate carries over to the United States, where no one is really sure how to offer Cerasuolo to consumers. It’s heftier than an ordinary pink wine, but it’s best served chilled. Wine writers and sommeliers alternately classify it as a “light red” or a “dark rosé.” Whatever you call it, the color is part of its beauty. It really is a beverage that you drink first with your eyes.
For Ciavolich’s version, the fruit comes from the youngest rows of the estate and is harvested by hand before being de-stemmed and crushed. A short-ish period of skin contact (8 hours) gently extracts the color from the 100% Montepulciano grapes. The finished wine over-winters in stainless steel tanks before being bottled in the spring.
Ciavolich, on their website, shares some of the tradition of Cerasuolo in Abruzzo. These were family-made wines offered to guests with pride during the springtime, while the previous fall’s reds were still in the cellar. In the days before modern microbial and temperature control, rosé styles were challenging wines to make well. To serve Cerasuolo at home was to demonstrate the freshness of your family’s wine, your skill as a winemaker, and the quality of the recent vintage.
Cerasuolo is a style that doesn’t fit neatly into a category, and that’s part of its enduring charm. Structured enough to serve up real red-fruit character and refreshing enough to quaff by the bottle, it’s my new favorite way to drink Montepulciano–no breadsticks required.
Bottle: Ciavolich Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC (2023) – Abruzzo, Italy
Variety: Montepulciano (100%)
ABV: 13%
Suggested retail: $20
My rating: 8.8 (out of 10)
Further reading:
Drinks Business: Should Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo be considered the fifth wine colour?
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own. Today’s bottle was tasted at Locals Craft Beer & Fine Wine in Farmers Branch, Texas.
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