Eclipse Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Pairs with: Slow-simmered beef ragù over handmade pappardelle, grilled Italian sausages with charred bell peppers, wood-fired pepperoni and mushroom pizza, classic eggplant rollatini, or a rustic platter of moderately aged Pecorino Abruzzese and savory salumi.
Good for: Experiencing an authentic, old-school Italian red that completely bypasses heavy, jammy sweetness in favor of a bright, food-friendly snap; snapping up a highly versatile, certified organic weeknight champion for an unbeatable price; or treating a casual pizza-and-pasta night to a bottle backed by deep, multi-generational heritage.
Grape: 100% Montepulciano.
I am from: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC, Abruzzo, Italy (Sourced from sustainably and organically grown estate vineyards nestled in the rolling, mountain-ringed hills of Nocciano, within the hinterland of Pescara).
The Story: Cantine Bosco Nestore is a true legendary pioneer of the Italian winemaking landscape, carrying a proud heritage that stretches straight back to 1897 when founder Giovanni Bosco first began cultivating vines in Pescara. The estate earned an indelible place in wine history in 1968, when Nestore Bosco became the very first producer to legally bottle wine under the newly minted "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC" classification and successfully export it to the United States. Today, the fourth generation leads the family business, having shifted operations in the 1980s to the unspoiled, high-altitude hinterlands of Nocciano—a majestic territory beautifully framed by coastal Adriatic winds on one side and the dramatic massifs of Gran Sasso and Maiella on the other. Achieving full organic certification in 2018, the family treats their "Eclipse" bottling with a meticulous, fruit-first philosophy, utilizing temperature-controlled fermentations and aging primarily in neutral vessels to ensure the pure, energetic, and rustic soul of the ancient Abruzzese hills arrives in your glass completely unmasked by heavy oak manipulation.
Why You'll Love Me: It is wonderfully bright, delightfully savory, and accessibly smooth—a medium-bodied red that showcases the grape's signature dark-fruit muscle wrapped in a beautifully nimble and energetic structural frame. In the glass, it pours an intense, deep ruby-red color with youthful, shimmering purple outlines dancing around the rim. The nose is a delightfully welcoming and expressive playground, instantly bursting with a fragrant bouquet of ripe black cherries, wild blackberries, and dark plums, seamlessly layered with complex undertones of dried Italian herbs, tomato vine, sweet licorice, and a comforting, rustic whiff of forest floor and cracked black pepper. On the palate, it delivers a gorgeous, highly athletic structural ride; it coats the tongue with a succulent, bone-dry core of tart red currants and juicy dark berries before a driving beam of mountain-born acidity cuts through the fruit weight to instantly refresh your palate. Backed by soft, well-integrated, and slightly dusty tannins that provide a polished architectural frame, it glides effortlessly across the tongue before sailing into a long, clean finish highlighted by a trailing touch of cocoa powder, anise, and a refreshing, savory mineral snap.
