2016 Masciarelli Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 750 ml

Bold and lush, the 2016 Masciarelli Marina Cvetic is a window into the true Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Once you experience it, you’ll never want to go back.

You need a critically vaunted, deeply authentic bottling like this one to transport you to the rugged, mountainous terroir between the Apennine Mountains and Adriatic Sea. Here, saline-scented sea breezes roll down steep, warm hillsides lined with vineyard rows and dotted with fragrant, deep purple-red batches of the native erba sulla flower.

These high-altitude conditions translate into a grand spiritedness in the bottle that borrows some of the tannic depth and knotty complexities of Brunello di Montalcino, yet remains extroverted. It’s big, a touch rustic, and fantastically alive with blackberry compote, ripe black cherry, and wild plum intensity.

“A formidable bottle,” declared Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate in a rave 93-point review. “There is a careful sense of measure and balance achieved here, despite the opulence and sheer exuberance of the material at hand. This is a bottle I drank and enjoyed immensely.”

Jeb Dunnuck arrived at the same conclusion with 93+ points, calling it “another beautiful wine from this estate” while Vinous applauded: “A truly lovely red wine. Well done.”

Now for the really good news: this outstanding release, full of the magic of the 2016 vintage and from one of the region’s best producers, can be had for under $30! It’s a true steal from a producer so beloved locally that this proud cuvée doesn’t often make it stateside. At the end of the day, it’s simply loads of fun to drink, with any dish and practically any day of the year.

We’ve been in love with the wines of Masciarelli estate for ages—but it was only on our most recent trip to Italy that we discovered this radiant Montepulciano. Founded in 1981 by Abruzzo native Gianni Masciarelli and producing exclusively estate wines, this institution of eastern Italy has racked up a slew of Tre Bicchieri awards—the gold standard in the country. When Gianni passed away, his wife Marina Cvetic Masciarelli took over, and gave this Montepulciano her special attention.

The next time we get a chance to walk Masciarelli’s picture-perfect rows, this is what will be in our glass. From a vast tapestry of terroir of over 900 acres, this bottle is made from eight of the best parcels they cultivate, spanning altitudes from 480 to 1,200 feet, with primarily clay and limestone soils. A year and a half in French barriques wraps the wild spice and pure dark fruit core with a glossy coat of smooth tannins and a hint of vanilla.

Our hats are off to this fabulous under-$30 effort. We’d like to be back on those warm, floral-scented hills of Abruzzi right now, plucking berries off the vine; short of that, this bottle is by far the next best thing.