Central - Red
(including Montepulciano d’Abruzzo)
Central Italy isn’t necessarily the sexiest of regions in this competition, but on the plus-side it can – and often does – provide real vinous gems at affordable prices.
The reds were markedly less good this year. There was only one Gold and tasters generally bemoaned both the inconsistency and the not-always-useable pricing.
But the whites were far better. Pecorino and Verdicchio, in particular, attracted a lot of praise for their balance, food-friendliness and value for money. These are wines that are fresh, elegant, gastronomic and still allow for a good mark-up.
From The Tasting Teams
‘The best Pecorinos had the perfect balance between floral notes, fruit and acidity. I think these are really useful for a wine list, and the prices were good too.’ Gianluca Provenzani, Belmond Cadogan Hotel
‘If the reds are well made they’re a joy, but the price tags of some of them were expecting a lot from the UK market at this current time.’ Antóin UáRuairc, UK Midland Sommelier
‘We didn’t have anything [in the Verdicchio flight] that was over-extracted, or with overuse of oak. Everything was balanced, with citrus and mineral notes. A very good flight.’ Laurent Richet MS, team leader
‘Quite a few of the central whites had a pleasant bitterness, with really good, engaging aromatics, making them very food friendly, especially for Mediterranean food. That’s where these wines can really shine.’ Jan Konetzki, team leader
‘The reds were all over the place. We saw lots of extracted wines with huge tannins and a huge amount of fruit, sometimes with complete disregard for grape variety or terroir.’ Olivier Gasselin, OenoTrade
‘Verdicchio was a really strong flight. We had different styles, from old-school, super-concentrated, herbaceous and nutty wines that are quite gastronomic, and then the lighter, fresher styles around £7 and £8 that work for bistro-style venues.’ Sam Weatherill, Etch. by Steven Edwards
‘I can see Pecorino working for people wanting an alternative to something like Picpoul, because it has that high acidity and freshness.’ Tom Forrest, team leader
‘Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the sort of wine that’s the second on a gastropub list.’ Stephanie Robertson, RA Group
‘Verdicchio is a more grown-up style of wine, that needs food. You’re probably looking at about £40-£50 on a list for these, and you could definitely find good examples for that price point here.’ Dave Cushley, Prestonfield House
‘I was expecting light, mineral, citrus wines, but also found a lot that were complex and creamy and nutty. It’s nice to see this experimentation.’ Elisa Soggia, Trivet