Dusty and floral, the 2020 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne Branella slowly blossoms with a beguiling mix of crushed ashen stones, incense and dried roses lifted by a mentholated freshness. This is pure class, silky smooth and deeply expressive with violet-laced red fruits and a chalky concentration that slowly coats the palate. While structured and tense, the 2020 is already so appealing leaving a cranberry-like bitterness that puckers the cheeks