Frentana. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 'Panarda'

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC
Grape: Montepulciano
2015 (14%)
Wonderful aromas of Earl Grey, cinnamon and forest fruit.  Layers of damson, bitter sloe, porcini and truffle.  Great wine.
8000 bottles made.

Cantina Frentana , Abruzzo producer page

Panarda refers to a medieval banquet, a fitting name for a wine whose origins are from another age, perhaps not medieval times, but certainly from a nostalgic age where the irreverent tannins were tamed by a long stint in botti*.  Panada is a wine that has never changed, it has evolved into the centre piece of Cantina Frentana’s ‘Quality project’, an all-encompassing drive towards fine-tuning their wines.

The grapes come from the best south-facing slopes; most are trained the old way, using a high pergola system  The grapes were hand-picked in late October and the  bunches cold-macerated*, before a temperature-controlled fermentation in steel tanks using selected yeasts.  This process extracts the maximum colour and tannin from the skins whilst at the same time preserving the delicate aromas of a classic Montepulciano.  The wine is then aged in barrique and botti for a further 18 months before bottling.