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Torre dei Beati

Fausto Albanesi, of Torre dei Beati, is easily one of the most humble and pleasantly quirky winemakers that I’ve come across in Abruzzo. Somehow this made a lot of sense to me once I considered the wines that he produces, and how they all have both a playful but also very serious side to them. The 20 hectares of estate vineyards and the winery are located in Loreto Aprutino, between 250 to 320 meters in elevation, with a push and pull of warming currents from the Adriatic Sea and the cooling effects of the Gran Sasso massif. Fourteen of those 20 hectares are made up of treasured pergola-trained Montepulicano vines that are now 50 years old. Albanesi is also very excited about a new vineyard in the works, a five-hectare, high-elevation Montepulciano site, between 430 to 500 meters, and closer to the Majella mountain. I witnessed this location with my own eyes while climbing in the region, and it’s a sight to see. The approach here is progressive, not international, nor traditional, but with a focus on allowing each variety to express itself through low yields, picking at optimal ripeness, and, in the case of the two Montepulciano “Selections”, Cocciapazza and Mazzamurello, a balanced use of new oak. For reference, the Cocciapazza is the darker and more serious wine for aging (just see my note on the 2006 for reference), while the Mazzamurello is more polished and opulent. Torre dei Beati also produces one of the most exciting Trebbiano Abruzzese in the region, refined in a combination of steel and acacia wood barrels. Don’t let the references to oak scare you; this is a portfolio of rich, balanced reds and whites that communicate both terroir and importance.

From Abruzzo: The Great Divide (Oct 2022) by Eric Guido

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2021 Pecorino Giocheremo Con i Fiori

Release Price: $25

Color: White

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