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Zaccagnini captures the spirit of Abruzzo as wine range grows
Zaccagnini, a key player in Abruzzo winemaking for nearly 50 years, enriches its portfolio to bring the region to the world.
Abruzzo, home of Cantina Zaccagnini, may not be the most famous Italian wine region. It can lay claim, however, to having Italy’s best landscapes. Nestled between the sea and the Apennine Mountains, it is a naturally spectacular landscape. The diversity, from the mountain range’s highest peak to the sandy Adriatic beaches, is remarkable. So too is its authenticity: with vast nature reserves and national parks, it is a haven for biodiversity and hosts important populations of wolves and brown bears.
Marcello Zaccagnini, who founded his eponymous winery in 1978, long desired to bring the Abruzzo landscape and its wines to a wider audience. For 46 years, it has produced wines in Bolognano that respect the landscape and its natural abundance.
That respect comes in many forms. Thanks to the dry microclimate and clay based soils, Zaccagnini can farm its vineyards sustainably, protecting the local flora and fauna. Its position at the foot of Mount Morrone combines warm days and good ventilation, making it a natural position for vineyards.
It also respects the region’s heritage in the composition of its range. Although international grapes have their place, it has prioritised local varieties. Ever popular Montepulciano, Trebbiano and Pecorino feature strongly, as well as the rarer Passerina and Moscato di Castiglione. Zaccagnini was also a pioneer in making the local rosé wine, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo.
It also respects the local population. Bolstered by its 2023 acquisition by the Argea Group, it has invested heavily in the community. Zaccagnini employs more than 70 people, of whom the majority live in the Bolognano area. For them, it has created a range of facilities, such as The Agorà which will include public spaces and a gym.
Matching Zaccagnini’s philosophy of ‘cultivating beauty’, the producer has celebrated both natural and man-made beauty. Beginning with a 1984 collaboration with artist Joseph Beuys, it has since hosted a variety of artistic events at the winery. The cellar is now an immersive gallery, hosting works by internationally acclaimed artists such as Beuys, Mimmo Paladino, and Bizhan Bassiri.
If anything encapsulates Zaccagnini’s connection to its region, it is the Tralcetto range. The selection of wines, which prioritises local varieties, is marked out by its distinctive design. Each bottle has vine shoot attached to it, taken from the vineyards at the annual pruning.
The range expanded this year, bringing another quintessential representation of Abruzzo terroir. The new Tralcetto Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva was launched this spring and brings out a charming expression of the most renown Abruzzese wine. With structured tannins, fresh acidity and black fruit aromas, it is intended to express the terroir in a complex, ageworthy wine.
Tasting notes by Patrick Schmitt MW for its Tralcetto wines are provided below.
Tralcetto Pecorino
- Winery: Zaccagnini
- Country: Italy
- Region: Abruzzo
- Vintage: 2023
- Grape Varieties: 100% Pecorino
- ABV: 13%
- RRP: £9.80
A pale, lemon yellow wine with a youthful nose showing pear drop and touch of peach. Peach and pear on the palate too, alongside a hint of zesty lemon for a dry and crisp profile. There are touches of oiliness and fine phenolics, but at its heart this is a fresh and easy light white.
Tralcetto Trebbiano
- Winery: Zaccagnini
- Country: Italy
- Region: Abruzzo
- Vintage: 2023
- Grape Varieties: 100% Trebbiano
- ABV: 12%
- RRP: £9.50
This Trebbiano leads with a rich fruity nose, full of ripe pear, peach and a touch of apricot.
The palate shows some depth and oiliness, but also zesty freshness. At its core is peach and ripe pear, shifting towards yellow plum and some sweet apple. The finish is dry and soft, but with freshness in a touch of crisp apple bite. This is lingeringly persistent with nice balance.
Tralcetto Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo
- Winery: Zaccagnini
- Country: Italy
- Region: Abruzzo
- Vintage: 2023
- Grape Varieties: Blend of black grape varieties
- ABV: 12.5%
- RRP:£9.50
This rosé glints as a pale bubblegum pink. Strawberry jam and confectionery on the nose, which is open and fruity. The palate is similar, with a bit sweetness and notes of strawberry chews, cherry jam and even pink bubblegum. The finish is firm, however, with some fine phenolic grip, lemon zest and a touch of bitterness. Open and lingering, developing into a bitter orange edge with fine, chewy dry finish.
Tralcetto Montepulciano D’Abruzzo
- Winery: Zaccagnini
- Country: Italy
- Region: Abruzzo
- Vintage: 2021
- Grape Varieties: 100% Montepulciano
- ABV: 12.5%
- RRP: £9.80
A mix of delicate red and dark berry fruit leads on the nose of this ruby-hued wine. The palate is medium bodied, with ripe and juicy flavours, and some grippy firm tannin. As flavours develop, there is cherry fruit, a hint of crushed strawberry, cherry stone and plums. The wine shows balancing freshness, but its core is ripe and almost jammy in its sweetness. It finishes dry, balanced and persistent.
Tralcetto Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Riserva
- Winery: Zaccagnini
- Country: Italy
- Region: Abruzzo
- Vintage: 2020
- Grape Varieties: 100% Montepulciano
- ABV: 13%
- RRP:£12.50
A quite complex wine, that bears the hallmarks of barrel ageing from the opening. The layered flavour profile encompasses chocolate, ripe cherry, dark berries and prune, before a note of cedarwood emerges. The wine is youthful, showing firm tannins but with some stewed notes. It lingers over notes of plums and cherry stone. This is very Italian: fully ripe and fleshy, but with firm and fresh edge.
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