Tiberio "Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo" Abruzzo, Italy 2022

FROM THE SORTING TABLE

THE WINE: 100% massal selection Montepulciano d’Abruzzo; alcohol: 14%; limestone soils; altitude: 1148 feet; South exposure; average vine age: 23 years; hand harvested mid-September; free run juice only; fermentation in stainless steel using only indegenous yeasts; no malolactic fermentation; aged in bottle.

THE PRODUCER: The story of Azienda Agricola Tiberio rings more like a new world tale than one from the old world of the ancient lands beneath the Majella and Gran Sasso mountains in Abruzzo. At 350 meters, 23 miles inland from the seaside city of Pescara near the hillside town of Cugnoli, Riccardo Tiberio found an old plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese vines roughly 60 years old so impressive that he decided to change his and his family’s destiny. He knew that Trebbiano Abruzzese vines were a rarity and not at all to be confused with Trebbiano Toscano and other similar looking but altogether different varieties that had been mistakenly planted instead. As the export manager for a well-known cantina in the region, Riccardo knew exactly what Abruzzo grapes could offer and what the modern world expected.

He made the plunge in 2000, purchasing the 8-hectare (19.77 acres) old vine plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese with 31 hectares (76.60 acres) of land suitable for his single estate wines. Guided by decades of experience and one of Italy’s most renowned nurseries, Riccardo planted a selection of indigenous varieties matched to the different soil characteristics in the vineyard. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano Abruzzese, and Aglianico, were planted along with Pecorino and Moscato di Castiglione clones from ancient vines in the area. Experiments with small plantings of international varietals were also undertaken. When Tiberio released its first vintage in 2004 the wine cognoscenti took notice of Tiberio’s mineral whites and fruit forward reds.

Tiberio’s Trebbiano Abruzzese vines are especially noteworthy as they are not just amongst the oldest in Abruzzo but because they are the real thing. True Trebbiano Abruzzese is rare; much of Abruzzo’s vineyards are actually planted to Bombino Bianco, Mostosa, and Trebbiano Toscano which were until very recently routinely confused with Trebbiano Abruzzese. However, while the four share similar features they are distinct varieties. Trebbiano Abruzzese is the most noble of the four, producing wines that while delicate and light bodied have greater depth and complexity. Also noteworthy is that Tiberio’s Pecorino vines, planted in 2001, are amongst the oldest in the region.