2018 Praesidium Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Superiore DOC

Region: Pescara < Abruzzo < Italy

Grape: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Winemakers: Ottaviano + Antonia Pasquale

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is the traditional deeply colored, full-bodied not
quite red, not quite rosato of the region; they call it Cerasuolo
(translates as "big cherry") for its pretty cherry color and flavor,
which comes from the skin tannins of the deeply-hued Montepulciano
grape and not from extended maceration.  While rosé might be an
afterthought (or cash cow) in many regions, here It is a serious and
important wine, the true calling card of the top Abruzzo growers --
and is the Abruzzo wine that commands the highest price.

Afer drinking endless bottles this summer in Abruzzo, we can safely
say that Praesidium's is top notch, a very special and sought-after
wine that rivals the best rosé bottles in the world (move over,
Bandol!)  Their Cerasuolo Superiore is created with the same grapes as
their Riserva Montepulicano, but it spends hours not weeks macerating
with the grape skins, rendering the bright pink color.   In many ways,
this tweener wine is the ideal bridge for different palates and foods.
You can drink it chilled in the summer with burgers, or lightly cool
in the winter with soups and stews.  It's our secret weapon to have at
the ready for dinners (and multiple dishes) out, or when there are
several competing palates (and tolerance for wildness) to please.

Bright and earthy with wild cherry, dark cherry and forest funk (moss,
wet tree?), it meanders into flavors licorice and wet rocks carried on
a long, surprisingly grippy, finish.  Intense and complex, with
tension and texture, this is a special, serious wine that deserves a
spot on the dinner table.

SERVE CHILLED BUT NOT ICY COLD