2017 Tiberio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Archivio
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Tasting notes
There’s a touch of maturity just starting to show here, with the first hint of sousbois and leathery richness, an almost tarry character, sitting alongside the sweet plum, baked blackberry and smoke. The tannic framework stands strong, even seven years on, needing additional bottle age to round out.
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Eric Guido, Vinous
Eric Guido, Vinous
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The magical 2017 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Archivio is coming along beautifully in bottle, just starting to shake off its youthful structure and reveal an inner beauty and sweetness that makes it irresistible. A cascade of autumnal spices, cedar and wild blueberries are complemented by spiced citrus as it evolves in the glass. It's soothingly round and silken in feel, with depths of vividly ripe red and blue fruits. Fine tannins frame the finish yet don't get in the way as the 2017 leaves a youthfully chewy sensation and resonance of licorice. This is everything I'd hoped for from the first time I tasted the 2017. That said, I would still wait a few more years before pulling corks.
Garnering an official “wow” from the very first tilt of the glass, the 2017 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Archivio is breathtaking. Roses, violets, stone dust and sour citrus set the stage, deepening with notes of ripe blackberries, cherries and hints of brown spice. It’s profoundly textural, as a silky wave ushers in ripe red and hints of blue fruit, spice, licorice and sweet lavender. This dances across the palate, pliant and soothing at times but then angular and boisterous at others, leaving a fine coating of saturating tannin behind. I love the harmony here, already so likable yet also youthfully reserved. My best advice is to check in on at least one bottle now, but to lose the rest in your cellar for a number of years. The Archivio is produced from four separate biotypes in Cristiana Tiberio’s vineyard. These are the oldest of her vines, averaging 60 years, and all are pergola-trained, growing in clay-rich soils. Also, due to the thicker skins and need for oxygen during vinification, 30% of the wine is matured for twelve months in new barrique. This is a whole new level for Tiberio Montepulciano.
About the producer
Tiberio is one of Italy’s most exciting names. Cristiana Tiberio is at the helm of this Abruzzo estate today, which was founded by her father Riccardo. Known in particular for its old-vine Trebbiano Abruzzese, Tiberio now sits alongside Valentini and Emidio Pepe as a leading light of the region.