Pasetti Tenutarossa Montepulciano d' Abruzzo Riserva 2021

The Testarossa Riserva is Pasetti’s flagship label, celebrating both tradition and family heritage. Its name, “Testarossa,” literally means “red head”, honoring the Pasetti women with striking red hair, symbolizing beauty, strength, and the family’s deep connection to their land in Abruzzo. The label reflects Pasetti’s dedication to producing elegant, expressive, and structured Montepulciano wines.

Montepulciano Riserva – Quality, Aging, and Regional Hierarchy:
Testarossa Riserva represents the pinnacle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo quality, following the region’s hierarchical designations: Regional → Superiore → Riserva. As a Riserva DOP, it meets stringent aging requirements — minimum two years, including at least one in oak — with additional bottle aging before release. The 2021 vintage was aged in second- and third-passage French oak barriques for 24 months, then further matured in concrete and bottle, producing concentrated fruit, refined tannins, and exceptional structure, distinguishing it from both standard Montepulciano and Superiore-level wines.

Food Pairings:
Testarossa Riserva pairs seamlessly with hearty Italian dishes, including lasagna, pasta with tomato sauces, “arrosticini” (traditional Abruzzo grilled lamb skewers), braised meats, wild game, and aged cheeses. Its rich fruit, savory spice, and firm tannins allow it to complement bold flavors while highlighting the wine’s depth, elegance, and long-lasting finish.

Abruzzo is one of Italy’s most geographically diverse wine regions, stretching from the Adriatic coast to the Apennine Mountains. This unique positioning creates a climate that balances warm, sun-soaked days with cool, breezy nights, making it ideal for growing a wide range of grape varieties. Both reds and whites thrive here, retaining natural acidity, freshness, and expressive aromas while developing complexity and structure.

The region’s vineyards are often planted on slopes and terraces, benefiting from excellent sunlight exposure, natural drainage, and air circulation. Abruzzo’s elevation gradient—from coastal plains to mountain foothills—allows for subtle variations in temperature and sunlight, helping grapes reach optimal ripeness while preserving freshness and aromatic nuance.

Abruzzo’s soils are highly varied, contributing to the region’s versatility:

Clay and limestone: Provide structure, depth, and mid-palate weight, supporting both robust reds and fuller-bodied whites.

Calcareous soils: Enhance freshness, lift, and minerality, particularly noticeable in Abruzzo’s native white grapes like Trebbiano, Pecorino, and Passerina.

Gravelly pockets: Promote drainage, encourage deep root growth, and concentrate flavors across varietals.

This combination of climate, elevation, and soil diversity gives Abruzzo wines a distinctive sense of place. From vibrant whites to structured reds, the region’s terroir consistently produces wines that are balanced, expressive, and reflective of both mountains and sea.

Pasetti’s vineyards are nestled in the foothills of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park, where the combination of elevation, slope, and mountain-influenced microclimates creates ideal conditions for high-quality Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The estate carefully manages parcels at 400–550 meters above sea level, often on east- or southeast-facing slopes, ensuring optimal sun exposure, natural drainage, and consistent airflow. These vineyards feature clay-limestone soils enriched with calcareous elements and pockets of gravel, producing grapes with concentration, balanced acidity, and expressive minerality. Pasetti’s commitment to low yields and meticulous vineyard selection further enhances the intensity, structure, and aging potential of their wines, making the estate a standout terroir within Abruzzo.

Testarossa Riserva represents the flagship of Pasetti’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo portfolio, sourced exclusively from the estate’s highest-quality vineyards in Pescosansonesco, at 550 meters above sea level in the heart of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. These vineyards sit on north-east facing slopes with clay-calcareous soils rich in organic matter, providing excellent drainage and promoting deep root growth. The parcels experience a dry, well-ventilated summer climate, which, combined with careful manual harvesting at the end of October, ensures grapes achieve full phenolic ripeness and concentration.

Compared to Harimann, which is sourced from select hillside parcels aimed at balance and approachability, Testarossa focuses on the most structured, terroir-driven blocks, emphasizing elevated tannin concentration, intense red fruit, and complex tertiary aromas. These vineyard conditions, along with low yields (100 tons/ha) and meticulous manual selection, allow Testarossa to deliver a robust, age-worthy Montepulciano with elegant structure, depth, and a true expression of Pasetti’s Gran Sasso foothills terroir.