The Gran Sasso wines are made by Valentino Sciotti and his team. Rino Santeusanio and Francesco De Santis are the winemakers, with Alberto Antonini acting as consultant. Together, they ensure that the wines have a freshness and vivacity that sets them apart from many in this area. The team work closely with their growers to produce a deep-coloured, clean and plummy young Montepulciano, as well as their ‘riserva’ style ‘Alta Quota’ Montepulciano d‘Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG which is from a zone in the northern part of Abruzzo that is renowned for the quality of its wine. The Trebbiano grapes are grown in the cooler areas of the Apennine foothills and fermented at low temperatures. The Pecorino is apparently named after the resemblance that the bunch of grapes bears to a sheep’s head. A relatively rare variety, there are only 300 hectares planted in Abruzzo and Le Marche.
This wine is ruby red with garnet highlights. Bright aromas of juicy red berries and plum are married by hints of vanilla. On the palate, it is full-bodied with silky tannins and a long, elegant finish.
This wine is straw yellow in colour with greenish highlights. It is lightly spiced on the nose from the partial oak ageing which gives way to a fine, floral and ripe citrus fruit character on the palate. On the palate, the wine has good length with ripe pear characters continuing through to the finish.
This wine is straw yellow in colour with a clean, intense perfume of fresh yellow plums and medlar, along with floral aromas of orange blossom. Nicely balanced on the palate, it is lively, with peachy fruit and a citrus twist on the finish.