Candeloro "Parò" Bianco, Abruzzo, Italy 2024

FROM SELECTIONATUREL:

THE WINE: 100% Camplese (aka Trebbiano d’Abruzzo) direct-press. Spontaneous fermentation without temperature control in open top vats. Aged on the lees in stainless steel tank. No filtering or fining and minimal added sulfur as necessary. (approx 20-30mg total sulfites).

THE PRODUCER: There's something enchanting about Abruzzo, a region in Italy that remains largely unexplored, despite its rich wine culture. The spaces here are expansive, the mountains loom large, and the valleys plunge deep into the earth. This rugged, assertive landscape is home to equally rugged, assertive wines that tell a story of self-reliance and fearlessness. It's a different kind of freedom that you experience when you're immersed in such awe-inspiring landscapes. The Candeloro vineyard is in the sleepy mountain hamlet of Vittorito some 600 meters above sea level clinging to the mountain. The ~ 3 hectare parcel took Simone Romano nearly 3 years to find and it is made up of old vine Camplese bianco (the oldest and most historic ancestor of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo that comes from these interior mountains) and Peligno (the mountain ancestor of the modern day Montepulciano we've come to know), dating back to the 50's and 60's. The soils here are a stark contrast to those found in the hills of Pescara (where Vini Rabasco is located) - rich in rocky granitic deposits descending from the mountain mixed with clay and sand.

Simone's wines are a pure reflection of him, his vision, and his place. They are pristine, alive, and clean, telling the story of this hidden corner of Abruzzo. These are mountain wines, self-made with a sense of independence and clarity that is rare to find. Firstly, a white wine of direct press Camplese (aka Trebbiano d'Abruzzo). Second, a later-harvested skin-macerated version that is elegant and pure without the pomp and circumstance of an "orange wine". Third, a proper "Cerasuolo" rosato that is perhaps the most vivid expression of the Candeloro wines at this point, and finally, a lythe, lifted Montepulciano (aka Peligno) that is just made to be enjoyed by all (especially with some Arrosticini in your hand).