il Faggio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Il Faggio is made by Alana McGettigan at one of the region's best co-operatives in the northern part of the Abruzzi.  The aim is to capture in the bottle the power and intensity of the grape, together with a lift and freshness which is seldom found in wine from this region. The name, Il Faggio, derives from the fabulous beech trees which proliferate in this area, especially in the Abruzzo national park.

The grapes for this wine were grown on the hills and flatter vineyards surrounding the town of San Salvo in Abruzzo.   2016 was a challenging vintage in Abruzzo. The severe frost in April damaged some of the vineyards. Even the summer days were interrupted by periods of grey skies and misty rains, which persisted into harvest. Yields were generally lower, and wines showed slightly less body and lower alcohol.

Only the best quality grapes were chosen for this blend, from primarily hand-harvested fruit. At the winery they were de-stemmed, crushed and pumped to stainless steel tanks designed specifically for fermenting red wine. The wine was innoculated with selected yeast strains and fermented at temperatures up to 34°C. Fermentation lasted for about six days. In the first few days, the wine was pumped over frequently to increase extraction. This became less frequent towards the end of the fermentation process. After pressing, the wine was transferred to tank for malolactic fermentation.

A deep ruby red in colour, with lifted perfumes of dark fruits, plums and cherries and a hint of mocha. This wine has soft, ripe tannins and a delicious chocolate-cherry finish.