Codice Citra: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC tops the podium
Abruzzo’s preeminent winegrower adds to its collection of prestigious national and international awards
In the runup to the 27th edition of the Merano Wine Festival (November 9-13), Codice Citra has obtained two “Bollino Rosso” Certificates of Excellence (88-89/100 and 99/100 points) at the Merano Wine Awards 2018, respectively for Caroso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2013 and Laus Vitae Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2012. The Merano Rosso Award is one of the seals of quality assigned by the Wine Hunter jury every year to mark excellence in food and wine. Only producers who have obtained two or more Merano Awards are entitled to participate in the Merano Wine Festival Official Selection 2018 and other Merano Award Selection events in Italy and abroad.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC reaffirms its primacy as Abruzzo’s preeminent wine, fifty years after receiving DOC status. This is confirmed by the many awards received over the past year in Europe and Asia: Caroso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOP Riserva 2013 won three gold medals (China Wine & Spirits Award 2018, Mundus Vini 2018 Winter Edition, Sakura Japan Women’s Wine Award 2018), two silver medals (Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2018, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2018) and a bronze medal (Decanter World Wine Awards 2018). Laus Vitae Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOP 2012 Reserve won a silver medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition.
Important recognitions were also assigned to Abruzzo native grape varieties, including Passerina (in the sparkling version, Martinotti method, “Rina” Passerina won 91/100 at the “5 Star Wines” International Award at the Vinitaly Wine Competition 2018) and Pecorino (in the sparkling version, Martinotti method, “Rino” Pecorino won a gold medal at the Berliner Wein Trophy 2018). Overall, Codice Citra wines have won an impressive thirty-one awards in five prestigious international wine competitions: International Wine Challenge, Mundus Vini, and Berliner Wein Trophy 2018 in Europe; and China Wine and Spirits Awards and Sakura 2018 in Asia.
“We are proud of the results we have achieved, but there is still a lot of work to be done to boost the stature of Abruzzo wines,” commented Valentino Di Campli, President of Codice Citra. “Undoubtedly, this year’s 50th anniversary of the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC is a great opportunity to feature all Abruzzo wines, allowing consumers to appreciate their quality. We expect a lot from the application of the Italian State neckbands starting in December 2018, as it represents a guarantee of product traceability both for producers and consumers. We strongly believe that this transition will mark an epochal change for the promotion of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC worldwide.
Codice Citra, founded in 1973, includes nine wineries located in the province of Chieti and is Abruzzo’s main wine producer, combining the technology, quality control, and expertise of a large company with the quality and peculiarities of the traditional work of 3,000 families of winegrowers cultivating some 6,000 hectares of vineyards.