1977 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva

The 1977 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne is a deep, dark amber, strewn with crimson hues. It seduces with a sweetly scented and dusty bouquet, wafting up with cinnamon, clove, spiced citrus peels, leather and hints of smoke. It’s soothing and silky on the palate with medium-bodied weight, hinting at rose and musky currants, while becoming almost salty toward the close. That said, there’s very little to reveal its true age; the 1977 comes across as fully mature yet still full of life. Mineral nuances linger through the near-juicy finale as the 1977 finishes remarkably fresh and with medium length. This is in a very pretty place, but a touch fleeting in.