Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC 2022 – Gran Sasso

The grapes to produce the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC Gran Sasso were hand picked, destemmed and then crushed. The must was clarified at 4°C and then fermented for 18 days at 12°C. This helped retain as much flavour and character in the grapes as possible. The wine remained in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks until bottling to allow the perfume of the grapes to show through.

The grapes for this wine are grown on selected sites in cooler vineyards in the foothills of the Appenines. The relatively high altitude means there is a greater contrast between day and night time temperatures, which allows the development of wonderful aromatic qualities in the fruit. The vineyards are west and south-west facing, planted on calcareous and clay soils, and situated at an altitude of between 150 – 350 metres above sea level.

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.