Most Montepulciano d'Abruzzo on Chicago shelves is forgettable — thin, jammy, and riding on the varietal's reputation for easy drinking. Lunaria's Coste di Moro is something else entirely. This is Montepulciano built with intention: organically farmed hillside fruit, careful oak integration, and the kind of structure that makes you reach for another glass before the first one is finished.
Lunaria is one of Abruzzo's leading organic and biodynamic estates, farming hillside parcels along Italy's central Adriatic coast where the combination of hot summers and steady sea breezes pushes Montepulciano to full phenolic ripeness without sacrificing the grape's natural tension. These aren't flat valley grapes — they're grown where elevation and airflow do real work. The winemaking respects that effort: stainless steel fermentation keeps the fruit precise and clear, then French oak aging adds toasted depth without burying what Abruzzo actually tastes like.
The color is an impenetrable ruby-red — pour it and you'll notice immediately this isn't a light-bodied pour. On the nose: red fruit, black cherry jam, and underneath it all, subtle cocoa and toast that signal the oak without screaming it. In the mouth it's warm, structured, and satisfying — a soft but intense body that finishes with Montepulciano's signature almond-skin tannin. That finish is the tell. It's the thing that separates a real Montepulciano from the crowd, and Coste di Moro has it in spades.
If you regularly drink Chianti, Barbera, or entry-level Nero d'Avola in the $20–$30 range, this belongs in your rotation immediately. It's also a smart move for anyone who's been burned by watery Montepulciano before — this is the version that converts skeptics. And if you just want a reliable, genuinely good red for a Tuesday night without overthinking it, this is your bottle.
The tannin structure here is built to handle fat and umami. Our top pick: grilled lamb chops with rosemary and garlic, where the wine's fruit and almond finish play directly off the char and richness. Pasta all'amatriciana is equally excellent — the guanciale fat and tomato acidity are exactly what this wine wants. Aged pecorino with a drizzle of honey works beautifully if you're keeping it simple. One practical note: serve it slightly cool, around 60°F. A quick 20 minutes in the fridge before opening lets the fruit and structure find their balance.
At $25, Coste di Moro drinks like a wine that should cost considerably more. Organic farming, hillside fruit, real tannin structure, and a finish that lingers — that combination at this price point is genuinely hard to find.
Lunaria Coste di Moro is available for pickup at Off Premise, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park. Whether you need it for tonight's pasta or want to stock your cellar, we've got you covered.
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