Cantina Indigeno Sub Rosso 2019

Sub Rosso is 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo sourced from old vines over 35 years of age grown organically in the Teramo hills near Montorio al Vomano. The vineyards sit between the Gran Sasso massif and the Adriatic Sea, where clay-limestone soils and significant diurnal temperature swings shape the fruit. Grapes are harvested by hand.

In the cellar, the wine is made via carbonic maceration, a technique that extracts color and fresh fruit aromatics with minimal tannin extraction. Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, without temperature control or additions. The wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined with no added sulfites.

The result is a medium-bodied Montepulciano that leans toward freshness rather than extraction: mineral, electric, and driven by bright red fruit with a smoky undercurrent. It sits closer in spirit to a natural Jura rouge than to a conventional Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC. At 12.5% ABV, it is light on its feet and easy to drink.

Cantina Indigeno was founded in 2016 by four friends in Teramo province and produces around 15,000 bottles annually from 9 organically farmed hectares. Their approach across all wines is consistent: native yeasts, zero additions, no filtration, no fining.