2004 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Villa Gemma

The 2004 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Villa Gemma has developed much better than I had expected, leading me to think that the bottle I tasted and reviewed last year was less than perfect. A sumptuous, dark Montepulciano, the wine reveals tons of elegance in its black cherries, minerals, spices and new leather. The tannins remain rather firm but also well-integrated suggesting that the wine will find an even better equilibrium with further bottle age. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2024. The passing of Gianni Masciarelli in 2008 left a huge void in the world of Italian wine. To be honest, I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Masciarelli’s wines but his contributions to the oenological landscape in Abruzzo are irrefutable. Most importantly of all, he aimed for, and often achieved, a level of quality that inspired other producers to follow suit. Importer: Masciarelli Wine Company, Weymouth, MA; tel. (781) 335-6620

The 2004 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Villa Gemma is an oak bomb loaded with sweet cinnamon, black cherries, herbs, tobacco and underbrush. It offers excellent density and richness - if you can get past the extreme toasted oak regime- along with more clarity than the 2003. I also tasted a bottle of the 2001. I had hoped that the oakiness in the wine would have subsided, but it was still very much present.