2020 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Mazzamurello

Fausto Albanesi of Torre dei Beati did a fantastic job creating wines of impeccable balance and power from the warm and dry 2020 vintage. His two single-vineyard expressions of Montepulciano, the mineral and powerful Cocciapazza and the more elegant Mazzamurello, are tremendous standouts in this vintage. I had the opportunity to taste several back vintages with Albanesi. These wines age beautifully over time, especially the Cocciapazza, which was expertly demonstrated by the 2001, also the first vintage, as well as the cool-toned 2009. As for the Mazzomorello, I checked in on the 2008, which showed beautifully and honestly surprised me with its energy and finesse. Overall, the approach at Torre dei Beati is progressive, not international nor traditional, but with a focus on allowing each variety to express itself through low yields, picking at optimal ripeness, and, in the case of the two Montepulciano “Selections”, Cocciapazza and Mazzamurello, a balanced use of new oak.