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The vineyards are divided between Trebbiano Abruzzese, Pecorino and Montepulciano – a fraction of the assorted grapes permitted in Abruzzo, however – importantly for Cristiana – those that had been traditionally native to their mountainous terrain. They solely planted with massal alternatives – one thing Cristiana feels is vital. She argues that clones sourced from vine nurseries are designed to be planted wherever, sacrificing something “native” within the title of illness resistance and/or yield. “For me, historic heritage is all the pieces within the wines,” she explains. On a extra sensible entrance, she finds that massal alternatives cope higher in troublesome classic circumstances, adapting extra simply. As proof, she factors to a plot of ungrafted vines that she planted in February of this 12 months (2024), explaining how regardless of the extraordinarily dry circumstances, the vines survived – totally unirrigated.
Whereas Cristiana clearly values the normal pergola coaching, she has chosen to make use of guyot coaching for many of their vines. The outdated vines – largely used for Fonte Canale and Archivio – are beneath pergola, nevertheless she doesn’t really feel it’s proper for all the pieces. Relating to Pecorino, she explains how the variability naturally grows vertically, which means pergola-training would power the vine into an unnatural form, influence sap circulate, and subsequently high quality. As for Montepulciano, whereas they’ve 2.5 hectares (used for Archivio) beneath pergola, she feels that the pergola system can push the grape’s rustic character – the skinny skins with much less phenolic ripeness (on account of shading) vulnerable to producing extra simply extractable, much less refined tannins. For her, guyot elevates the flavour profile of the grape and helps steadiness the doubtless aggressive tannin, avoiding it being too “loud”.
Cristiana’s brother Antonio is in cost within the vineyards, the place they work organically. They briefly trialled biodynamics, nevertheless have veered away from utilizing the preparations, together with any fertiliser or seeded cowl crops – eager to keep away from including any exterior inputs that aren’t “respectful of their terroir”, as Cristiana places it. The winemaking continues this philosophy, with indigenous yeast, nearly no new oak throughout the vary (simply 30% for the Archivio bottling), the wines unfined and unfiltered, largely avoiding temperature management the place attainable, and SO2 solely added at bottling.
Though natural, they aren’t licensed – one thing she feels strongly about. She explains how each devoted, small growers and “large, industrial” producers can bear the identical certification, whereas one’s farming is taken into account and artisanal, but the opposite is borderline standard. It “certifies our angle and we keep lazy”, she tells me. “We cease scuffling with our thoughts to seek out what is best for our terroir,” she says – one thing that she is anxious to keep away from, eager to proceed striving, pushing and dealing to do higher, reasonably than tick a field and transfer on.
And that work isn’t merely mental. Having simply completed harvest in Abruzzo earlier than touching down in London, she was quickly flying off to Oregon – squeezing in a second northern-hemisphere classic at a property there. It’s an opportunity to study, and few 50-year-olds appear to be fairly as stressed as this one. Whereas Tiberio is a household enterprise, it’s not one which was handed via the generations – one thing for which Cristiana is grateful; she has been ready to decide on her website, select the wines she’s making and outline her personal philosophy – one that’s now resonating loud and clear world wide.
The household’s late canine, Quarmarì, who provides his title to their soon-to-be-released single-vineyard Pecorino
The vertical tasting
Pecorino
2006 Pecorino Colline Pescaresi: It’s arduous to consider that is near twenty years outdated – the wine vibrant, full of life and juicy with lean lemon freshness to the palate. There’s a suppleness to the physique, but it’s taut and mineral, and extra honeyed and natural notes rising with air.
2009 Pecorino Colline Pescaresi: The 2009 Pecorino is immediately open, giving sage, thyme and honey on the nostril, alongside recent white peach. On the palate, nevertheless, it reveals its restraint – nonetheless fulsome however with a mineral spine that makes it really feel youthful.
2013 Pecorino Colline Pescaresi: Leesy and mineral, that is nearly harking back to mature Chablis or Blanc de Blancs Champagne – with a honeyed, chamomile edge. The palate is waxy and lengthy, with a natural raise to the end.
2015 Pecorino Colline Pescaresi: There stays a creaminess to the nostril right here – the wine tighter than the 2013, with a limey, lean purity and loads of power.
2019 Pecorino Colline Pescaresi: That is strikingly completely different after the 2015 – a lot riper and extra unique, with apricot, peach, mango and orange peel. Mixed with the wine’s viscosity, there’s one thing Viognier-like, nevertheless there’s nonetheless sensible, mineral power right here, with tight, citrus-edged acidity.
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
2022 Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Will probably be wonderful to see this wine develop. The nostril is restrained – you’ll be able to really feel the potential behind. Steadily wild strawberry and vibrant raspberry emerge, alongside delicate rose petal florals. It’s tightly wound with immense power to the flinty palate, a minerality driving via its core into the lengthy, mouthwatering blood-orange end.
2020 Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Deeper-coloured than the 2018, the 2020 has a brighter nostril – with raspberry sherbet, strawberry laces and a creamy richness. The acidity once more is within the driving seat, the palate chalky and mineral with lemon freshness and a slight phenolic grip that frames the crunchy purple fruit.
2018 Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: A surprisingly deep pink (particularly given that is made solely with free-run juice), with a copper hue. This was an actual spotlight of the tasting. The nostril combines a flinty minerality with a cool, savoury, nearly tacky observe, alongside dried cherry and rose florals. The palate has a line of vibrant acidity and a mouthwatering lemon end. Very critical rosé that deserves bottle age.
A full vertical of Tiberio’s Fonte Canale, their single-vineyard Trebbiano Abruzzese
Fonte Canale
2021 Fonte Canale: From a really dry rising season, that is such a child. The nostril is mineral with notes of pear pores and skin, white florals, lime pith and cordial, with riper apricot rising. It’s vibrant and stuffed with tight, lemony acid, driving on to the chalky end. Exact and pointed, there’s crisp apple and natural freshness, with a saline edge.
2020 Fonte Canale: At first with a contact of gunflint discount, the smokiness regularly lifts to disclose a good and lean expression of Trebbiano d’Abruzzese – all citrus and mineral, needing time and air to disclose itself totally.
2019 Fonte Canale: The nostril right here combines vibrant inexperienced apple, greengage and lemon with a sea-spray freshness. It’s nonetheless limey and tight on the palate, however with a comfortable, full weight too – with beneficiant but tangy, white-pear fruit on the mid-palate, earlier than tightening up on the saline, mineral end.
2018 Fonte Canale: Dried herbs mingle on the nostril with extra hedonistic fruit – peach and inexperienced mango,, with actual weight to the fruit right here. There’s nonetheless the chunk of piercing lemon acidity, surrounded by fleshier peach fruit.
2017 Fonte Canale: This feels rather more closed compared to the 2018, with pure citrus power, tangy, pure and limey, however with a slight creaminess mingling with the tart fruit. It’s concentrated and stuffed with promise, however not giving a lot away now.
2016 Fonte Canale: Waxy and vibrant, the 2016 is filled with power. Pure flint, Meyer lemon and grapefruit pith, with extra delicate white florals all vie for consideration, whereas the palate is all about pure crunchy apple, minerals and its vibrant acidity.
2015 Fonte Canale: The nostril right here is advanced – with notes of honey, chamomile, tarragon, bruised apple and a praline richness. The palate, in the meantime, feels brilliantly youthful, with lime sherbet and chalky minerality driving lengthy into the mouthwatering end.
2014 Fonte Canale: This was closed at first, with delicate floral tones of apple blossom and honeysuckle dancing on a background of lemon and pear flesh. The palate has that acquainted drive of acidity main into the impressively lengthy, saline end.
2013 Fonte Canale: Recent cashew mingles with lemon sherbet on the delicate nostril of the 2013, a wine with raise and power. The palate is full of life and lengthy, with the end providing honey, natural notes and candy hay.
2012 Fonte Canale: The primary ever classic of Fonte Canale, it was an actual deal with to do that particular wine. The nostril combines rosemary and thyme with candied lemon peel, in addition to extra honeyed notes. The palate is lithe and vibrant nonetheless, with a stony purity and saline end.
Colle Vota
2020 Colle Vota: This combines juicy darkish fruit, candy spice, baked plum and violet florals. Wealthy black and purple cherry fills the palate, with an fringe of dried herbs and the scent of nutmeg. The tannins are savoury and agency, with a chalky freshness and zesty edge to the acidity.
2019 Colle Vota: The 2019 affords floral raise, with brighter cherry and raspberry fruit. Much less savoury than the 2020, the palate is tight and mineral, but with a softness to the mouth-filling fruit, all lower by juicy acidity.
2018 Colle Vota: That is drastically completely different to the 2019, providing an fragrant profile of baked strawberry and tea leaf – nearly lapsang souchong. The chalky minerality stands out right here, with excessive, piercing acidity giving the wine spine.
2014 Colle Vota: There’s a big color change transferring from the 2018 to the 2014 Colle Vota, whereas the nostril reinforces this shift with leather-based and damp undergrowth sitting alongside dried purple fruit. The tannins have softened and are supple, whereas the acidity nonetheless refreshes and cuts via the fruit.
Of the property’s two single-vineyard Montepulciano expressions, Archivio is the firmer and fuller-bodied
Archivio
2020 Archivio: Savoury and wealthy, it is a highly effective, darkish, compact Montepulciano d’Abruzzo that wants time. It’s intense and structured, stuffed with tight bramble fruit and drying tannins, however with a powerful line of acidity at its core.
2019 Archivio: That is rather more open than the 2020, with a sweeter, extra red-fruited profile, and extra overt candy spice. Dried herbs and incense complement the bramble fruit. There’s a agency chalky grip to the tannins, tightening up because the construction declares itself on the palate, but with mouthwatering acid maintaining issues balanced.
2018 Archivio: The candy, baked purple fruit of the classic appears to hold via each of the reds in 2018. There’s a softness to the fruit, but nonetheless energy behind. It’s full-bodied and agency, but probably the most approachable of the trio of 2018, 2019 and 2020, with recent, juicy acidity.
2017 Archivio: There’s a contact of maturity simply beginning to present right here, with the primary trace of sousbois and leathery richness, an nearly tarry character, sitting alongside the candy plum, baked blackberry and smoke. The tannic framework stands robust, even seven years on, needing extra bottle age to spherical out.
In case you are considering shopping for Tiberio, please contact us.
– Written by Sophie Thorpe
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