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A Virgin Wines exclusive Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC from the 2024 harvest, made by winemaker Ivano Emiliani with fruit from small Abruzzo growers. Black cherry, plum and violet, soft tannins and 12.6% alcohol: a pizza and pasta red at £11.99.
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This 2024 Montepulciano leads with black cherry, plum and violet, then a hint of spice over silky tannins. At 12.6% it sits just above the 12% minimum the DOC rules set, so it drinks light for the style, which is the point of a pizza-night wine.
Black cherry and plum first, then violet. Underneath is a gentle spice rather than oak: nothing points to a barrel, and the £11.99 price does not suggest one either.
Violet
Black cherry
Cherry
Plum
SpicyMedium-bodied and soft, with silky tannins and the juicy black-cherry fruit a hot, dry 2024 in Abruzzo would be expected to give. At 12.6% it sits just above the DOC's 12% minimum, so it feels light and easy rather than warming.
Short to medium, ending on cherry skin and a gentle spice. The tannins are soft and the finish is brief rather than long, which keeps it in pizza and pasta territory.
A Virgin Wines exclusive made by Ivano Emiliani from small-grower fruit, and an easy introduction to Montepulciano d'Abruzzo at £11.99. A sound everyday red rather than a standout.
Tenuta della Rocca is sold only by Virgin Wines, so the price is theirs to set: £11.99 a bottle for the 2024. A well-liked everyday red, to drink by the end of 2027.
High marks for everyday drinking and for beginners: soft tannins, modest alcohol and a familiar black-cherry flavour under £12. Low marks for the cellar, because a 2024 built for drinking by 2027 has nothing to gain from waiting.
Under £12, modest alcohol and made for pizza night.
Soft, fruity, 12.6 per cent alcohol and a familiar black-cherry flavour: an easy first Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.
Fresh acidity, soft tannins and cherry fruit: a natural match for tomato sauces, pizza and grilled lamb.
At £11.99 it sits at the cheap end of the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo we track, where the middle price of a 75cl bottle is about £20.50. A well-liked everyday red, so good value rather than a bargain buy.
An everyday retailer label with no estate name and no vintage pedigree to show off, and nothing points to barrel ageing.
Built to drink young: soft tannins and a drinking window for the 2024 that ends in 2027 mean there is nothing to gain from keeping it. Nothing points to barrel ageing.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our Wine Fit Score methodology.
A compact view of what the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Drought and extreme heat cut Abruzzo's 2024 crop by 30 to 50 per cent, the regional press reported, but the grapes arrived healthy and about two weeks early. Expect ripe, soft fruit rather than a wine to keep: the window runs to the end of 2027.
Drought and extreme heat cut Abruzzo's 2024 crop by 30 to 50 per cent, the regional press reported, but the grapes came in healthy and about two weeks early. A ripe, soft year to drink young: Virgin's window runs to the end of 2027.
Drought and extreme heat cut Abruzzo's 2024 crop by 30 to 50 per cent, the regional press reported, but the grapes came in healthy and about two weeks early. A ripe, soft year to drink young: Virgin's window runs to the end of 2027.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC covers hill vineyards across the provinces of Chieti, Pescara, Teramo and L'Aquila, with a 12 per cent minimum alcohol. Winemaker Ivano Emiliani draws on a wide network of small local growers and vinifies each grape on its own.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is in the DOC tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo falls within Abruzzo, covering Abruzzo: hill vineyards across Chieti, Pescara, Teramo and L'Aquila provinces. The denomination is further divided into 9 sub-zones.
Tenuta della Rocca is sold only by Virgin Wines, under a winemaker's name but no estate. A retailer-owned label skips the importer's margin, which is part of why a DOC red lands at £11.99.
Ivano Emiliani draws on a vast network of small local growers. The wine is built from bought-in small-batch lots rather than one estate's vineyard, which keeps the cost of the grapes down.
Drought and extreme heat cut Abruzzo's 2024 harvest by between 30 and 50 per cent, the regional press reported, so there was less Montepulciano to go round in this vintage.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC allows up to 15 tonnes of grapes per hectare, about twice a Brunello vineyard's cap. Nothing points to barrel ageing, so neither scarcity nor oak adds to the price.
At 12.6 per cent alcohol, UK duty is about £2.89 a bottle at the £30.62 per litre of pure alcohol rate in force since February 2026. VAT takes another £2.00 of the £11.99.
Dishes that go with this wine
Tenuta della Rocca is a wine for pasta nights and pizza. Its soft tannins, 12.6 per cent alcohol and cherry fruit also suit arrosticini, Abruzzo's grilled lamb skewers, and a slow-cooked ragù.
Montepulciano's fresh acidity matches the sharpness of cooked tomato, so neither the wine nor the sauce tastes sour. Pasta nights and pizza are where its cherry fruit shows best.
Try with: Pizza Margherita · Pasta alla Norma · Lasagna · Ragu alla bolognese · More pairings →
Soft tannins and 12.6 per cent alcohol let this red sit beside grilled lamb without drying the mouth, and the meat's fat rounds the cherry fruit further. Arrosticini, Abruzzo's own lamb skewers, are the home match.
Try with: Arrosticini · Agnello Cacio e Ova · Spezzatino di pecora · Lamb chops · More pairings →
A medium-bodied red with gentle spice matches roast pork or a sausage supper without either one taking over. The wine's plum and black cherry stand in for a fruit sauce on the plate.
Try with: Porchetta · Lucanica · Pampanella · Toad in the Hole · More pairings →
Fresh acidity cuts through melted cheese and fried aubergine, so a slice of parmigiana or a baked pasta tastes less heavy. The wine's violet note lifts the tomato in both.
Try with: Eggplant parmesan · Anelletti al forno · Calzone · Pizza Fritta · More pairings →
Cherry and plum fruit bridge to the sweetness of cured ham and salami, and the soft tannins do not fight mild cheeses. An easy match for a starter platter or a picnic.
Try with: Lucanica · Caciocavallo farcito · Frico · Cheese board · More pairings →
Chilli heat makes a light red taste harsh and metallic, and oily fish turns its tannins fishy. Keep Tenuta della Rocca for tomato, lamb and pork.
Skip with: Chicken madras · Szechuan chicken · Kippers · Scottish Smoked Salmon · Sashimi · Pairing guide →
Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Aim for the cooler end on a warm day; warmer end opens up more aromatics.
Built to drink young: soft tannins and a drinking window for the 2024 that ends in 2027 mean there is nothing to gain from keeping it. Nothing points to barrel ageing.
£11.99 for a 75cl bottle of the 2024, at Virginwines, is the best price we track, and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 1 Oct 2026, 02:11 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighThe name on the label belongs to Virgin Wines, a shop, not to a winery. Virgin Wines names Ivano Emiliani as the winemaker. Virgin Wines is the only UK shop we track that sells it, so there is no price comparison to make. How we tell estate, shop and brand labels apart.
Confidence · HighA style read drawn from the grape and the appellation, not from this exact bottle. We mark these notes openly so you know what you are reading.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is a Virgin Wines exclusive. The winemaker is Ivano Emiliani, who works with a wide network of small local growers in Abruzzo, vinifying each grape separately. Tenuta della Rocca is a brand name rather than a single named winery.
Black cherry, plum and violet, then a hint of spice. It is medium-bodied with silky tannins. At 12.6% it sits just above the 12% minimum the DOC rules set, so it drinks light for the style.
A small but sound one. Drought and extreme heat cut Abruzzo's 2024 crop by 30 to 50 per cent, the regional press reported, but the grapes came in healthy and about two weeks early. Drink this bottle by the end of 2027.
Tomato-based pasta, pizza and grilled lamb. It is a wine for pasta nights and pizza, and its soft tannins and cherry fruit suit arrosticini, Abruzzo's lamb skewers, as well as a bolognese or a lasagne.
It costs £11.99 a bottle at Virgin Wines, and it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
3.9 out of 5 from 95 customer ratings on Virgin Wines at the time of writing. Seventy-seven of the 95 gave it four or five stars.
3 retailers
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
3 retailers
£21.00
3 retailers
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
3 retailers
£13.50
2 retailers
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
2 retailers
£11.90
2 retailers
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
2 retailers
£15.00
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