Controvento Vino Rosso 2018

Controvento Vino Rosso 2018 is 100% Montepulciano from Enzo Di Meo's 5-hectare estate in Rocca San Giovanni, a hilltop village on Abruzzo's Costa dei Trabocchi, sitting at 155 meters above sea level roughly 1 kilometer from the Adriatic. The vineyards, planted between 1998 and 2001, grow on calcareous and clayey soils inside the Fosso delle Farfalle, a protected site of community interest (SIC) in the province of Chieti. Sea breezes off the Adriatic cool the vines through the growing season.

Farming is certified organic with no synthetic chemicals used in the vineyard or cellar. Vines are fertilized with winter green manure only. Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The wine ages in the same steel tanks for a few months before bottling unfined, unfiltered, and with zero added sulfites at any stage.

The result is a direct, fruit-driven red that leads with dark cherry and ripe plum, underscored by peppery spice and a savory, earthy finish. The wine carries a slight natural effervescence and fresh acidity typical of Montepulciano grown close to the coast, where the maritime influence moderates ripeness and preserves brightness. At 12.5% ABV, it drinks with an easy weight without sacrificing structure.