Deep crimson. A complex yet not overtly exuberant nose of blackberry, blueberry and with hints of iron, damson and liquorice powder; sweet oak hints and a suggestion of coffee bean and bell pepper. Elegant, fluid palate of blackberry and raspberry fruit – more savoury than sweet. Velvety tannins and supple acidity create the perfect balance. Silky smoothness, yet fresh. Not a brawny wine and now at its peak, even if it hardly shows any signs of development. Certified organic by ICEA. 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the Bellovedere vineyard trained on pergola at 200 m elevation with south-south-east exposure in Spoltore. The vines are on average 46 years old. Fermented in tronconic Slavonian oak casks. Malolactic conversion and aged for 18 months in barriques, tonneaux and concrete. Unfiltered and unfined.

Aromas of fresh red cherry, earl grey tea and thyme. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Nicely layered chocolate and dried-herb character atop the bed of black fruit. Generous, with a fresh finish. Drink now.

The 2020 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva Spelt is dark and earthy in the glass, with undergrowth and crushed stones giving way to black cherries and spice. This is round and silky in feel, with ripe wild berry fruits and spices that cascade throughout. Plum and medicinal blackberry linger as the 2020 tapers off long, lightly structured, yet relatively fresh. Well done.

This wine is only made in the best years when the Montepulciano grapes, harvested at the end of October, reach satisfactory ripeness. Then, the La Valentina 2015 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Terre dei Vestini Riserva Bellovedere (with a mere 6,000 bottles produced) sees 18 months of oak aging, producing a balanced and fruit-forward expression. The wine shows the kind of soft ripeness and exuberance that is characteristic of this warm and sunny vintage. Celebrate it with a braised lamb.

The 2018 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is incredibly pretty with its display of crushed violets, mint, wild strawberries and wet stone. It’s a soft and fleshy effort that keeps the energy high, as zesty acids usher in a pure display of red and blue fruits. Hints of tannin mix with sweet spices and minerals to create a pleasantly tactile feel, as this tapers off fresh and slightly savory.

A selection made from the estate's vineyards, at altitudes ranging from 150 to 400m above sea level, this Riserva was aged in a combination of new and used Slavonian oak barriques, barrels and tonneaux. It has a meaty, mulchy scent of dried fruits and autumnal fruits. In the mouth it is quite sticky and ripe, with some succulence tempered by chalky tannins. There's a streak of red fruit running through the plum and blackberry fruits, bordered by graphite and wood. The acidity keeps things in balance through to the finish.

Dark and tangy, with a lush core of blackberry, mulberry and boysenberry fruit flavors, revealing accents of oolong tea leaf and spiced orange peel. Shows taut, fine tannins that impart a tightly meshed feel, but this is silky and balanced overall, opening nicely on the palate and in the glass. Drink now through 2029. 11,500 cases made, 5,000 cases imported.

The 2016 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva Bellovedere is dark yet elegant, with an inviting bouquet of blackberries, crushed violets, exotic spice and hints of camphor. This is silky in texture with a savory, almost-salty display of wild berries and minerals, all balanced by brisk acids. You can hardly feel its fine-grained tannins settling in until the very end, as the palate aches under the Bellovedere’s youthful structure, with echoes of licorice and black fruits lingering long. That said, the balance here is on point, and all the 2016 needs is a few more years of cellaring to really shine.