Abruzzo

Campirosa Cerasuolo gradually reveals its fresh notes of strawberry and cherry, accented with sweet floral aromas. On the palate, it is silky-smooth and thoroughly compelling, with ripe red fruit and juicy acidity. A hint of liquorice, exotic spices and nuanced tannins emerges on the finish and seems to linger for almost a minute. Campirosa is a charming favourite even when young, but can also be left to mature in the cellar for another year. SUPERIORE.DE

Fresh, uncomplicated and surprisingly full of character - the Costalupo Bianco is a successful introduction to the white world of Abruzzo. Made from Trebbiano, Passerina and Pecorino, it has a fine, yellow-fruity flavour with citrus, apple peel and white flowers. Lively, straightforward and pleasantly dry on the palate, with a good flow and clear structure. Ideal with light dishes or simply as an animating terrace wine with regional character. A successful everyday wine, honest and straightforward. SUPERIORE.DE

Illuminati's Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riparosso has a sweet aroma of violets and lavender, followed by crushed blackberries and chalk dust. It coats the palate with soft textures and ripe wild berries, which are contrasted by tart citrus fruits towards the finish. It finishes with a perfumed character and admirable length, leaving behind a layer of dusty tannins that tug at the cheeks. Very Italian – very well made. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep ruby red with a cool violet rim - visual clarity that already hints at a certain concentration. Ripe dark fruits such as sour cherries and blackberries on the nose, gently accompanied by a hint of spicy pepper and Mediterranean herbs. Juicy on the palate, with ripe fruit, round tannins and a pleasant freshness. The ageing in stainless steel tanks preserves the precision and purity typical of the variety. An uncomplicated, typical regional red wine with a lovely flow and rustic, authentic character - perfect with grilled vegetables and pasta dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

Pecorino from Abruzzo – fresh, juicy, with a clear profile. Citrus, yellow apple, white flowers, a hint of Mediterranean herbs and stone fruit on the nose. Lively on the palate, with taut acidity, fine salinity, good tension and a dry, slightly tart finish. The ageing in stainless steel emphasises freshness and varietal typicity. A versatile, straightforward white wine for many occasions – goes well with fish, vegetables, pasta or on its own. Honest, typical, uncomplicated and with its own character. SUPERIORE.DE

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo is an underestimated grape variety. Anyone who only knows it from light white wines has not yet looked into the Colline Teramane – the hills between Gran Sasso and the Adriatic Sea, where Illuminati has been growing grapes since 1890. At 260 metres above sea level, on loamy-clayey soils that store every fresh drop of rain and welcome every sea gust, Trebbiano carries a dignity here that is rarely attributed to it elsewhere.

Cerasuolo – the name is derived from "cerasa", meaning cherry, and also describes the vibrant colour of this rosé made from 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The Di Properzio brothers have been producing it in Spoltore, near Pescara, since 1990: hand-harvested, 18 hours' maceration, followed by saignée and slow fermentation at a low temperature in stainless steel. No oak, no frills – just the grape variety and the terroir. Cherry red in the glass, with fresh sour cherry, strawberry and a hint of pomegranate on the nose. On the palate, lively acidity, a juicy mouthfeel and a salty minerality that recalls its proximity to the Adriatic Sea. Not a pale terrace rosé, but a wine with backbone – and one of Italy’s often-underestimated rosati. SUPERIORE.DE

Cerasuolo means cherry red – and the name says it all. What Illuminati vinifies from Montepulciano grapes as rosato has nothing to do with the pale summer rosé that you forget between two deckchairs. Only 15 hours of maceration at a cool temperature – just enough to extract colour, aroma and the characteristic Adriatic salt fingerprint without taking any tannin or heaviness with it. Then fermentation in white, steel, care.

Nicola Illuminati founded Fattoria Nicò in Controguerra in 1890. Dino Illuminati turned it into a name that Abruzzo fans around the world recognise – and Stefano Illuminati continues this work today, with the same vineyards, the same indigenous grape varieties and the same respect for Montepulciano. The Lumeggio di Rosso is no small wine: it is proof that this producer wants to be taken seriously even without Riserva ambitions. 100% Montepulciano, Pergola Abruzzese at 260 metres, hand-picked at the beginning of October. Maceration at 28 °C, then six months in 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels.

A grape variety like a phoenix rising from the ashes: Pecorino was considered almost extinct until the 1980s, displaced by higher-yielding varieties. Then it was rediscovered – and today this ancient Abruzzese grape is experiencing a spectacular renaissance. According to legend, it owes its name to the sheep (pecora), which loved to nibble on the sweet berries as they travelled through the vineyards. At Zaccagnini, pecorino grows on clayey soils in the provinces of Pescara and Chieti. The harvest at the end of August – later than for Trebbiano and Pinot Grigio – gives the wine its characteristic structure. After cryomaceration and gentle vacuum pressing, the must ferments at a low temperature in stainless steel.

The small vine wood on the neck of the bottle tells a story: In Bolognano, the small village in the province of Pescara where Zaccagnini has been making wine since 1978, the local women tie each Tralcetto to the bottle by hand with raffia. A symbol of the connection with the land that has long since become a trademark. The Bianco di Ciccio comes from vineyards on clayey soils, where the vines grow partly on the classic pergola and partly on a trellis. An early harvest at the beginning of August preserves the lively acidity. After gentle vacuum pressing and cold clarification, only the fine must fraction ferments at a controlled low temperature – a process that maximises freshness and aroma.

Cerasuolo is not a rosé – at least not in the fashionable sense. It is an independent type of wine with its own DOC since 2010, deeply rooted in Abruzzo's wine culture. The name is derived from cerasa, the dialect word for cherry, and describes the characteristic colour that has accompanied the region's tables for centuries. Zaccagnini's Tralcetto is a lesson in what Montepulciano can do without prolonged contact with the skins: The grapes are gently pressed and only the must is fermented at a low temperature – at a low temperature to preserve the fruit. Brief ageing in stainless steel, then into the bottle.

Pinot Grigio from Abruzzo? Yes, and how! What often degenerates into a bland, mass-produced wine in Veneto or Friuli gains real character in the hills of Chieti. The clayey soils and the interplay of the Adriatic breeze and the cool of the Apennines lend this international grape variety a freshness and aromatic profile that you'd search for in vain elsewhere. The grapes are harvested early in the first half of August to preserve acidity and aroma. After gentle vacuum pressing, only the free-run juice is fermented at a low temperature. A brief period of ageing on the lees lends the wine additional texture and depth before it is matured in stainless steel.

The small piece of vine wood around the neck of the bottle is more than just a nice touch – it is Zaccagnini's trademark and a symbol of a philosophy: nothing from the vineyard is wasted; even the prunings find a use. Since 1978, the Zaccagnini family has been working in Bolognano, deep in the mountainous hinterland of the province of Pescara, where the vineyards lie as if in an amphitheatre, sheltered by snow-capped mountains. Here, where fresh winds blow through a mountain pass every day, the Montepulciano grape thrives in ideal conditions. Following a gentle hand-harvest and temperature-controlled maceration, the wine matures for six months in Slavonian oak barrels before spending a further three months in the bottle to achieve its final harmony.

This Montepulciano from the hills of Abruzzo has a classic style and is aged in large oak barrels. Deep ruby red colour with a purple rim. Dark cherries, stewed plums, dried herbs, a hint of leather and fine spice on the nose. Round on the palate, with ripe fruit, polished tannins, well-integrated acidity and a harmonious, spicy finish. A wine full of character and at the same time accessible with a beautiful regional expression – down-to-earth, honest and wonderfully compatible. SUPERIORE.DE

The Riserva version of the famous "Tralcetto" is a modern expression of Montepulciano from Abruzzo – powerful and dense, yet always distinct in style. The 2021 vintage was selectively harvested by hand and, following traditional maceration, aged for nine months in large wooden casks, which lends the wine structure and depth.

Chronicon – the name sounds like history, and that is exactly what this wine delivers: a chronicle of what Montepulciano is capable of in the hills of Bolognano. The vines grow around the estate, overlooking the Majella National Park, on clayey soils with a westerly exposure. The grapes are harvested by hand at the end of September, followed by a good two weeks of maceration at a controlled temperature – long enough to extract colour, structure and the typical varietal fruit. Ageing in oak barrels for six to nine months gives the wine a polished finish without over-moulding it.

Castello di Semivicoli is a great Rosso from the Chieti area and Masciarelli's first red wine cuvée. The vines in the vineyards of the province of L'Aquila were planted by Gianni Masciarelli in 2003. Medium-bodied purple red. On the nose black berries and nice peppery notes with some tobacco, violets and vanilla. Powerful and silky on the palate, polished tannin and a wonderfully fruity finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The name evokes the fields of ancient grains that once covered the hills of Spoltore before vines took root here. Since 2017, this Trebbiano has borne the name "Oro" on its label – a claim it certainly lives up to. To produce it, the Di Properzio brothers select just three hectares of old vines growing on compact limestone-loam soils near the coast. What sets Spelt Oro apart from conventional Trebbiano is the radical patience involved: After fermentation, the wine rests sur lie for four months in stainless-steel tanks, which are deliberately located outside the winery – exposed to natural temperature fluctuations. It then spends a further year in concrete. It is bottled after fifteen months, unfiltered, unclarified and without any stabilisation.

2021 was a year with an ideal vegetation balance in Abruzzo: cool springs, a sunny but not overheated summer and healthy, late-picked grapes. This organic Riserva is traditionally vinified and matures for around 18 months in large wooden barrels and barriques. Deep ruby colour with a light purple hue in the glass. Juicy black cherry, blackcurrant, dried herbs, liquorice and a hint of dark chocolate on the nose. On the palate, it is denser and more structured than the previous vintage - with fine tannins, fresh acidity and a long, spicy finish. A Riserva with a clear line and great inner balance. SUPERIORE.DE