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Agricola Cirelli

Montepulciano Anfora 2017

Price: $40.95
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Tasting notes

The amphora does something specific here: it softens tannins through gentle micro-oxygenation while leaving the wine's dark fruit and clay-inflected mineral character completely intact. The 12-day skin maceration is deliberately restrained, giving the wine grip without aggression — deep ruby, silky, and fresh at the same time.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Taste profile
BlackberryBlueberryEarthMineral
  • Style: Dry, full-bodied red; deep ruby; dark fruit, earth, mineral; 13% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Montepulciano; certified organic (ICEA); calcium-clay soils near Atri, Teramo province, 8km from Adriatic
  • Winemaking: Hand-harvested; destemmed; 12-day skin maceration; spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in terracotta amphora; aged in amphora through malolactic fermentation; no oak; low sulfites; no fining
  • Serving: Serve at 60-62F; 20-30 min decant opens the fruit
  • Pairing: Braised lamb, pork sausage, tomato pasta with guanciale, aged Pecorino, roasted eggplant
  • Similar To: For fans of earthy, structured Italian reds who want amphora texture over oak influence

This is a 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC from Francesco Cirelli's estate near the hilltop town of Atri, Teramo province, about 8 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. The vineyards sit on calcium-rich clay soils, harvested by hand. Grapes are destemmed, gently crushed, and transferred directly into unglazed terracotta amphoras custom-made by an artisan in Impruneta, Florence — the same clay region Brunelleschi sourced for the dome of the Florence Cathedral.

Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts. Skins are softly punched down during a 12-day maceration, specifically to avoid extracting coarser tannins. After pressing, the wine completes malolactic fermentation and ages entirely in amphora until bottling. No oak is used at any stage. Low sulfites added; bottled with minimal intervention.

The result is a deep ruby red with dark fruit on the nose — blackberry, blueberry, and a streak of mineral earthiness. On the palate it is full and round with silky texture, moderate tannin, and a fresh, mineral-driven finish. The clay vessel imparts micro-oxygenation without adding flavor, letting the grape and site speak directly.

This wine is part of Cirelli's Anfora line, which sits above the screwcap La Collina Biologica range in depth and structure. Certified organic by ICEA (IT BIO No. S1780).

Works well with braised lamb, pork sausage with lentils, or roasted eggplant. The wine's earthy mineral edge and moderate tannin also make it a natural match for aged Pecorino or a tomato-based pasta with guanciale. Serve slightly cool at around 60-62F.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Full Body
Grapes:, Montepulciano
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2017
Alcohol:, 13%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Abruzzo
Appellation:, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

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If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


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Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Agricola Cirelli

Francesco Cirelli founded Agricola Cirelli in 2003 with his partner Michela near Atri, a hilltop town in Teramo province, after leaving a career in business. The 22-hectare estate sits within the Riserva Naturale Calanchi di Atri, a WWF-protected nature reserve defined by dramatic clay badlands. Only about 6 hectares are planted to vines; the rest supports olive groves, wheat, barley, figs, aromatic herbs, vegetable gardens, and free-range livestock including geese that manage weeds between vine rows.

The farm received organic certification in 2006, three years after founding, and is certified by ICEA (IT BIO No. S1780). No synthetic chemicals are used. Crop rotation allows soils to rest and regenerate, and animals provide natural manure for fertilization. Francesco cultivates four indigenous varieties: Montepulciano and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo as the primary reds and whites, alongside Pecorino and Cerasuolo. All harvesting is done by hand.

In the cellar, Cirelli uses no oak. The classic La Collina Biologica line ferments and ages in stainless steel; the Anfora line uses custom terracotta vessels produced by an artisan in Impruneta, Florence — a region historically prized for its clay quality. The amphoras are fitted with stainless steel lids to limit oxidation during fermentation while allowing gentle micro-oxygenation. All fermentations are spontaneous with indigenous yeasts. Wines are bottled with minimal added sulfites and no fining agents.

Wine region

Abruzzo, Italy

Abruzzo runs along Italy's central Adriatic coast, bordered by the Apennine Mountains to the west — including the Gran Sasso massif — and the Adriatic Sea to the east. This narrow corridor produces significant climatic variation: maritime breezes off the Adriatic moderate summer heat and help grapes retain acidity, while cool air drainage from the Apennines creates diurnal temperature swings that favor organic viticulture and flavor development. Vineyard elevations range from near sea level to over 500 meters within short distances.

The Colline Teramane subzone in the northern hills of Teramo province, where Agricola Cirelli operates, holds DOCG status for Montepulciano — one of only two DOCGs in the region. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the dominant red variety and is distinct from Tuscany's Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which uses Sangiovese. The thick-skinned grape thrives on the area's calcium-rich clay soils, producing deeply colored wines with dark fruit and structured tannins. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo leads white production, with Pecorino and Passerina recognized as quality indigenous alternatives.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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