Illuminati - Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 'Zanna' 2017 ~ Abruzzo, Italy

91/100 James Suckling
90/100 Wine Enthusiast (2015 vintage)
90/100 James Suckling (2015 vintage)
88/100 Decanter World Wine Awards (2015 vintage)
17.5/20 Vinum Wine Magazine (2015 vintage)
91/100 Wine Enthusiast (2013 vintage)
87/100 Wine Spectator (2013 vintage)
94/100 Ian Dagata - Vinous Media (2010 vintage)
92/100 Wine & Spirits (2010 vintage)
92/100 Wine Review Online (2010 vintage)
90/100 Wine Spectator (2010 vintage)

Silver - International Wine & Spirit Competition (2013 vintage)
Bronze - International Wine & Spirit Competition (2013 vintage)
Commended International Wine Challenge (2013 vintage)
Commended International Wine Challenge (2011 vintage)
Commended International Wine Challenge (2008 vintage)

100% Montepulciano

James Suckling " Rich red and black berries with hints of sea shells, dried herbs and a touch of balsamic. Medium-to full-bodied with a relaxed palate, where the firm, fine and polished tannins bring out a drier aspect of the fruit. This needs another year to meld together better. Try from 2023."

Wine Enthusiast "Aromas of crushed herbs and spiced cherry show a pleasing depth on the nose. Medium in weight, the palate brings juicy red cherry, tobacco and earth, with slightly sandy tannins rising up on the finish. Sourced from a single vineyard in the Colline Teramane DOCG, it shows very good vibrancy and concentration. Alexander Peartree" (2015 Vintage)

James Suckling "Cherry, dried tomato, olive, cedar and spice on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tight tannins and bright acidity. Firm and savory. Best with hearty food. Drink or hold." (2015 Vintage)

Vinum Wine Magazine "On the gentle hills of the Colline Terramane subzone in northern Abruzzo, the Illuminati family cultivates their vines: Inviting aromas of wild berries, tobacco and liquorice; Balanced in the mouth, the tannins well integrated, ending in a long fruity finish full of character. Goes well with game dishes." (2015 Vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "Well-honed aromas of spiced black currant and dark cherry meld with bits of anise, clove and wild mint on the nose of this single-vineyard wine. The medium-bodied palate is taut in feel, broadened out by some dark fruit weight and supported by finely meshed tannins. Alexander Peartree" (2013 Vintage)

Wine Spectator "This medium-bodied red feels a bit tired, lacking some focus and length, with lightly chewy tannins framing moderate notes of delicate herb, smoke, spicy leather, dried cherry and fig. Drink now. 5,833 cases made, 350 cases imported." (2013 Vintage)

Wine Spectator - "Elegant and well-spiced, with a finely meshed range of black raspberry, licorice string, grilled herb and black olive flavors structured by velvety tannins. Medium- to full-bodied, with a sweet, lasting hint of fig bread on the finish." (2010 Vintage)

Ian Dagata - Vinous - "Multilayered, deep and complex, Zanna is always one of Abruzzo's most refined Montepulcianos....Deep ruby. Ripe but fresh red cherry and spice aromas are complemented by refined notes of lead pencil and coffee. Very suave on the palate too, with brightly focused red cherry, flint and herb flavors that carry through a very long aftertaste." (2010 Vintage)

Wine & Spirits - "The 45-year-old vines at the Zanna Vineyard provides the fruit for this Riserva, aged in Slavonian oak for two years. It’s supple and concentrated, packed with black fruit that slowly yields hints of strawberries, red berries and licorice. The tannins remain smoky and as black as carbon, the finish clean and vast." (2010 Vintage)

Wine Reviews - "The flagship Zanna is produced only in the best vintages. Besides coming from old vines (45 years average age) of a single vineyard called Zanna, the wine ages for four years at the winery compared to only one year for the Riparossa. The 2010 Zanna has pronounced aromas of blackberry, spice and flowers, with mineral notes joining those impressions on the palate. It is full-bodied with impressively rich and smooth texture and soft tannins. For a wine so laden with fruitiness, it has beautiful complexity and holds your interest as only great wines can. (2010 Vintage)

Montepulciano Riserva 'Zanna' is the winery's flagship wine, a 3 Bicchieri Award winner for years in a row. Produced only in the best vintages, Zanna is made with a selection of grapes from old vines (45 years old on average) from a single vineyard, pergola-trained with monitored low production through green harvest.

Zanna is intense ruby red in color, turning garnet with time. There are hints of blackberry, berry fruits, and dried flowers on the nose. On the palate the wine has great texture and soft tannins, with an elegant and long finish. It will pair perfectly with red meat, game, truffles, and aged cheeses, particularly gorgonzola.

The Zanna vineyard, from which this wine takes its name, is located 287 metres a.s.l. in the Municipality of Controguerra, along the hills to the right of the Tronto river that gradually decline towards the Adriatic sea, with a gentle climate characterized by natural fresh ventilation.

The Zanna vineyard was one of the first vineyards to be planted by the Company and is provided with a pergola trellis system with approximately 1,100 stocks per hectare.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane is the jewel in the crown of central Italy's Abruzzo region – a fact confirmed by its promotion to DOCG status in 2003. Its name (Colline Teramane) means hills of Teramo, and it is thanks to this prime hilly site with outstanding growing conditions that the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo gem can shine.

This territory in the province of Teramo, with its special microclimate and good soil structure, is located between the high peaks of the Gran Sasso National Park and the Adriatic coast. Local wine growers demonstrate passion, professionalism and respect for the Colline Teramane terroir, as well as treating the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape gently by cropping it at reasonably low levels so the vines can bear first-class fruit.

The wines require a minimum of 90% Montepulciano and a maximum of 10% Sangiovese. At least two years of ageing is required, with at least one year in oak barrels and at least six months in bottle before release. Those under the Riserva label must have spent a minimum of three years maturing. The result is a unique wine with distinct organoleptic sensations; it is often notable for its muscular and earthy character, robust but at the same time offering an elegant and velvet-smooth texture. Like a Vosne-Romanee, this wine can be described as ‘an iron hand in a velvet glove’. It is an expressive red delivering an intense purity of fruit, abundant in fresh dark cherries and black plums, with hints of spice and smoke evident from the time in oak. It comes into its element when paired with food.