2011 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

Undoubtedly one of Italy’s top dozen wine estates in terms of sheer quality, Valentini produces only three wines, all of which have proven to be especially ageworthy. Run today by Francesco Paolo Valentini, the estate’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo may well be Italy’s best white wine, and examples from the 1950s are still in fine drinking form today. The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a paragon of power and grace, the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo deep and complex. Wine lovers may not be aware that Valentini makes what is arguably the best extra-virgin olive oil of any wine estate in Italy. indeed, as far back as 1899, the estate's olive oil was awarded with a diploma of merit at the Exposition-Concours Franco-Italien in Nice. Last but not least, the estate has an agreement to sell their wheat to the high-quality pasta maker Verrigni. As proof of the estate’s goal to bottle only the very best wines, Francesco Paolo has not released a bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo since the 2006 vintage, mainly because he has been unconvinced by more recent years: essentially, he believes that excessively hot summers have not allowed the Montepulciano pips to reach full phenolic ripeness. He sells it off as bulk wine, and the list of restaurants in Abruzzo that offer Valentini’s Montepulciano wine as their “house red” is a closely guarded secret among wine insiders; I can guarantee you that it’s one heck of a house wine! Though I greatly enjoy any wine made by this estate, I urge those readers with really deep pockets to try the truly memorable wines made by the estate during the 1970s (both the Trebbiano and the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo). These are some of the greatest wines ever produced in Italy.