MCF Rare Wine

The Rosé (and maybe the wine) of the Year So Far
 
There are two legendary producers in Abruzzo - Valentini and Emidio Pepe.

They each make a legendary 'Cerasuolo', or a deeply colored, powerful rosé made of the Montepulciano grape.  

Valentini you can get if you find it.

Emidio Pepe, you can only get if you work harvest, or maybe, if you're lucky, when you visit the winery.

A few weeks ago, we tasted one that absolutely gives both of them a run for their money...

...and it's from a winery that was only just founded in 2017.

Two friends, Roberto Fracassa and Alessandro Massacesi, both Abruzzo natives and both lovers of the wines of their homeland set out to create a biodynamic winery.  With the consulting assistance Professore Lorenzo Seghetti, the sly-grinned titan of Abruzzese agriculture (and consultant at Valentini) that I had the pleasure of meeting at Colle Trotta a few years back, they created Tenuta DeSterlich.

All four of their wines are mind-bending-ly complex and pristine, but it's the Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo that I'm writing about today because there's a very finite amount of it, and I don't want any of you to be finite-ed out of getting any.

I know that many of you have had Valentini's Cerasuolo, widely considered the benchmark for this unique wine.  Take that texture, depth, complexity and ageworthy structure and roll the tone knob off even further.

This is a much darker shade of pink, bordering on co-ferment/light red, and it has a dazzling aromatic profile, and a palate that's stuffed with mineral-packed berry fruits, earth and salty/smoky nuance.

On the back end, the structural elements so inherent to Montepulciano, hold it firmly upright.

But, intertwined through all of that is a fresh, lively, brightly lit spirit that keeps it both lofty and refreshing.

The character is, at once, naturally wide open, yet surprisingly refined.

DeSterlich is a winery that should be all over your radar...at some point I'll also talk about their two brilliant whites and their flavor-packed red...but, for now...

...pay attention to this one while I have it.

TENUTA De STERLICH
Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 2021

You may also order by replying to this message or calling 212.255.8870.

Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870

Looking for a wine you loved from a past newsletter or a favorite you can't find anywhere?  Email Raphael at raphael@mcf-rarewine.com, and we'll do our best to find it for you!