Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – Tart, Simple and…

Last Updated on June 24, 2023

Revisiting the Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, an old $5 favorite from Trader Joe’s. But does it still measure up?

Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - Tart, Simple and...

There’s no information given from Trader Joe’s but this is a DOC wine so according to the rules for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo it must be at least 85% Montepulciano and up to 15% Sangiovese from Abruzzo, Italy. The wine must be aged for a minimum of 5 months prior to release.

The Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is available exclusively at Trader Joe’s for just $5.99 ($1 more than the last time we reviewed it). It is imported by Americal Beverage Group Inc.

From the bottle:

This red wine is made with Montepulciano grapes grown in Abruzzo – central Italy. It is smooth and well balanced with deep red fruit aromas and flavors.

Serve at room temperature with hearty pastas, pizzas and basic red meat dishes.

13% Alcohol

The 2020 Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo begins with pleasing aromas of black cherry, some dried herbal notes and a little earth.

The wine is pretty rough when first opened but with time it vastly improves. It’s tart and simple with good depth of flavor at this low price.

Lots of juicy fruit and hints of earth lead into the dry and long-lasting finish. There’s nothing complex about it at all but it tastes good and will pair well with lots of Italian foods.

It’s also not quite the no brainer it was when it was just $4.99 (and tasted a bit better) but still offers good value if you’re willing to let it breathe a bit.

2020 Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Taste: 6 (85-86 points)     Cost: 10
OVERALL RATING: 7.0

RECOMMENDED BUY

As always you can find an updated list of our recommended wines from Trader Joe’s as well as more info on their pricing model and some tips and tricks for shopping the store in our giant guide.

The Best Wines at Trader Joe's - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks

You can also find more of our favorite $8 and under Italian red wines here.

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Jon Thorsen

ABOUT JON THORSEN

Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! Read more about me...