Reds: Rosso Conero

As you may recall, wine is one of my passions. I have never taken a wine tasting course nor do I recognize different vintages of the same wine but when it's good, I just know it :)
One of my favorite wines has to be Rosso Conero. It is a wine made of Montepulciano grapes (usually 100%, if not used purely then a maximum of 15% of Sangiovese grapes is allowed), and produced only in the province of Ancona (Le Marche region).
Its origins can be traced back to the 2nd Century BC and is linked to Hannibal of Carthage. While marching to Rome, he provided his army and even his horses with Rosso Conero.
Rosso Conero got the DOC classification in the Sixties but in 2004 its Riserva became a DOCG (Denominazione d'Origine Controllata e Garantita) which brough more rigid rules to ensure a better quality. So we can get 2 different wines from the same vineyards: a more simple and cheap version (Rosso Conero DOC) and a more complicated, more expensive and of higher quality (Conero Riserva DOCG).

Grape(s): Montepulciano (possible addition of max. 15% Sangiovese)
Production area: slopes of Mount Conero, SW of Ancona; between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennines.
Terroir: mineral-rich chalky and clay soils.
Features: full-bodied, strong color, firm tannins, intense aroma and flavors of black cherries, berries and herbs.
Food pairing: Meat (roasts, game, etc), Lasagne
When to drink it: Not immediately, the tannins need time.

My top 2:


- Sassi Neri - Conero Riserva (Fattoria Le Terrazze)
- Cimerio / Vigneti del Parco - both Conero Riserva (Moncaro)