San Clemente Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva by Cantina Zaccagnini embodies Abruzzo’s winemaking heritage. Sourced from the historic San Clemente vineyard, this powerful wine reflects dedicated viticulture and precise cellar practices, yielding deep fruit and spice notes. It’s a tribute to the land’s character and a symbol of regional pride.
Montepulciano is the most widely planted red grape variety in Abruzzo and plays a key role in defining the region’s oenological identity. Known for its generous structure, deep color, and expressive aromas, it thrives particularly well in the inland hills of the Terre di Casauria area, where the climate and soils lend complexity and aging potential. Its historical significance and adaptability have made it a cornerstone of Abruzzese viticulture, valued both in Italy and abroad. In this strategic and evocative territory, Cantina Zaccagnini has come to represent more than just a winery. It is a symbol of the region’s viticultural renaissance and cultural pride. The winery has forged a reputation not only for consistency and quality but also for its role as a custodian of the Abruzzo land, landscape and values. With a strong presence in the Terre di Casauria, Zaccagnini has helped elevate the profile of local wines through an approach that blends traditional sensibility and innovation. From its roots in the hills of Bolognano, Zaccagnini has grown into one of Abruzzo’s most influential wine producers. Its development has followed a path of careful expansion and international outreach, without ever abandoning its connection to the territory.
The company has maintained a deep connection to its origins, choosing to communicate through the language of the land and its natural and artistic richness. It is in this context that the San Clemente Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva was born—a wine whose name pays homage to the magnificent San Clemente Abbey in Casauria, a national monument since 1894 and an emblem of cultural continuity. The grapes for this Riserva come exclusively from the historic San Clemente vineyard, a single estate plot nestled in the beautiful Casauria valley. Here, the soils are medium-textured and clay-rich, with a southern exposure that benefits from constant breezes and significant diurnal temperature variation, ideal conditions for preserving aromatic integrity and structural balance. In the vineyard, integrated pest management and sustainable viticulture practices guide the work, with low yields per plant and manual harvesting in mid-October to ensure optimal ripeness and selection.
In the cellar, vinification takes place in 50 hl oak vats, with maceration lasting 15 to 20 days at 28–30°C to extract depth and tannic richness. The wine is then aged for 18 months, including 9 months in barrique, following a 48-hour decantation to separate the clear wine from the lees.
In the glass, San Clemente presents a deep red color with purple hues. Its aromatic profile is wide-ranging: floral notes of rose lead into intense fruit aromas of wild berries and blueberry jam, followed by layers of licorice, white pepper, cumin, and graphite. On the palate, the wine is powerful and full-bodied, yet vibrant and dynamic, with lively tannins and a bright vein of acidity that drives a long, compelling finish. It is a wine that pairs beautifully with rich, flavorful dishes such as meat ragù, mushroom risotto, red meats and game. San Clemente is not merely a label—it is a tribute to a land of character, a vineyard of history, and a winemaking philosophy rooted in place and precision.
Key points
- San Clemente Riserva: icon of Abruzzo’s Montepulciano, deep character from Terre di Casauria.
- Cantina Zaccagnini: custodian of Abruzzo’s land and values, blending tradition with innovation.
- Historic San Clemente vineyard: ideal south-facing, clay soils, low yields, manual harvest.
- Winemaking: oak vats, extended maceration, 18-month aging with 9 months in barrique.
- Tasting notes: deep red, wild berries, licorice, powerful palate, lively tannins, long finish.
