We have often averred that organically grown wines are not only better for you but are better tasting and more complex, because of, among other reasons, the diverse microorganisms in the soil that break down things like minerals that would otherwise be unavailable to the grapevine and are then transmitted and tasteable in the grape and the wine. If we were trying to convince a jury of this hypothesis, this wine would be Exhibit A. Without knowing how the grapes were grown we were instantly seized by both the intensity and the complexity of flavors in this humbly priced Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Converting to organic farming in 1976 (they were some of the very first in Italy to get certified) when an otherwise unexplainable illness befell the matriarch, the family has never regretted the decision and never looked back. Now the third generation is in charge of the estate and they have become one of the biggest producers in the Marche region. The more years of organic farming, the healthier and more complex the fruit. Because of the health of the fruit, minimal sulfur is needed to maintain freshness, so this wine qualifies as natural wine yet tastes way better than 99% of the “natural” wines on the market even though it isn’t marketed as such. This is a wine of medium tannins, acid and alcohol, that would pair well with a meaty pasta sauce.