2023 Il Faggio, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - Liberty

Il Faggio is made for Liberty Wines by Alana McGettigan, of Lani in New Zealand, at one of the region’s best cooperative wineries in northern Abruzzo. The aim is to capture in the bottle the power and intensity of the Montepulciano grape, together with a lift and freshness that is seldom found in wines from this area. The name ‘Il Faggio’ derives from the fabulous beech trees that proliferate in this area, especially in the Abruzzo National Park.

The Montepulciano has lifted perfumes and is soft and supple with a delicious chocolate-cherry finish.

The grapes for this wine were grown on a mixture of hillside sites and flatter vineyard plots near the sea, surrounding the town of San Salvo in Abruzzo. Cultivated in the Guyot method, the vines are located at 100-150 metres above sea level.

The 2023 vintage was a warm harvest with very little rain yet the quantity remained similar to that of a standard year. Careful work in the vineyard, and the decision to bring harvest forward resulted in excellent quality grapes.

Only the highest quality grapes, primarily hand-harvested, were selected for this blend. At the winery, the grapes were destemmed, crushed, and transferred to stainless steel tanks. The must was inoculated with carefully chosen yeast strains and fermented for around six days at temperatures reaching up to 34°C. Regular pump-overs, initially more frequent to enhance extraction, became less frequent as fermentation progressed. After pressing, malolactic fermentation took place.

This beautifully structured wine is deep ruby red in colour, with lifted notes of dark fruits, plums and cherries and a hint of black pepper spice. It has soft, ripe tannins and a delicious chocolate-cherry finish.