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{ SOMMjournal.com } 109 Climb Every Mountain: A FOCUS ON ABRUZZO'S COLLINE TERAMANE DOCG REGION: Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOCG WINESTASTING: Cerulli Spinozzi's 2013 Torre Migliori (the current release), followed by the 2012 and 2009 Torre Migliori and the 2004 Torre Migliori in magnum. This tasting was a clear demonstra - tion of the Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo's ability to age and retain color as a teinturier grape. FACTS Montepulciano is one of Italy's most widely planted grapes, with 80 percent of Montepulciano wines actually bottled outside of Abruzzo. Colline Teramane, ofcially established as a DOCG in 2003, requires Montepulciano to be bottled and grown within its boundaries. Colline Teramane allows 10% Sangiovese, but most producers strive for 100% Montepulciano. Wines must be aged for a minimum of one year. In addition to its Mediterranean climate, the DOCG's close proximity to the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso mountain range results in signicant diurnal swings. Professor's Perspective "The Colline Termane is built on middle-class families who wanted to grow and make serious wines from Montepulciano. This is what happened to my family: We started selling textiles, and after a few generations, we were able to buy land and then plant vineyards."—Enrico Cerulli, Family Proprietor, Cerulli Spinozzi A slide image of Cerulli spor ting a beret while hold - ing a large stone in his vineyard garnered a laugh in every city. "Don't look at me, look at this stone," Cerulli said. "This was not brought by the river, but from the top of the hill. The base of the soil is clay and sand, but the hills are covered in gravel that comes from the ero - sion of the Gran Sasso. This gravel provides the mineral- ity to these wines." Builders of Brunello: A WINEMAKER'S PERSPECTIVE REGION: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG WINESTASTING: This thorough presenta- tion in clonal and polyclonal single vineyards featured nine wines, including the 2016 Janus 50 Sangiovese clone; 2016 BF 30 Sangiovese clone; 2016 Janus 10 Sangiovese clone; and 2017 versions of Sangiovese from the Pog - gioni, Mandrielle, and Tavernelle polyclonal vineyards. These were followed by Castello Banfi's 2013 Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino, the Poggio alle Mura 2007 Riserva, and the very-much-alive 1988 Brunello di Montalcino. Every year the team at Castello Ban tastes through these polyclonal vineyards, which are vinied separately, to determine the nal blend. FACTS Brunello, a mutation of Sangiovese, means "little dark one." Despite be- ing difcult to cultivate, Sangiovese is Italy's most widely planted grape and is extremely site-sensitive. A 9-mile-wide square, Montalcino's elevation varies from 390 feet above sea level to just above 1,900 feet. A Mediterranean climate prevails, with marine air currents coming from the west and helping to reduce fungal disease. Professor's Perspective "Castello Ban is a large estate with a large surface area, but only one-third of it is under vine. It's made up of a constellation of single vineyards. Each has different soil types/microclimates and produce wines that have unique winemaking characteristics." —Gabriele Paz - zaglia, Cellarmaster, Castello Ban "Brunello has a long history. Although the wines were famous in Italy, they weren't outside of the country until Castello Ban came to Mon - talcino in 1978. Since the beginning Ban has been at the forefront of viticulture and clonal research for Sangiovese. In the early 1980s, they got together with the University of Milan and studied clonal selection and zonation, which is a specic process of collecting soil, environ- ment, rain, topography, et cetera. They combined all of this together to really understand how Sangiovese grows in a specic environment. This research took place over four decades." —Maurizio Broggi PHOTO: ROBERT GOMEZ PHOTO: ROBERT GOMEZ PHOTO: RYAN DEARTH Enrico Cerulli reviews the Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo at the University of Denver. PHOTO: JOHN CURLEY At left, Maurizio Broggi introduces the extensive presentation of Brunello di Montalcino at the University of Denver. At right, Gabriele Pazzaglia and Lars Leicht discuss Banfi's clonal research on Brunello di Montalcino at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa.