Intense garnet color and dense blackberry nose; velvety and deep; meaty and juicy with concentration and generous flavors. It's made with an ancient biotype of Montepulciano called the African clone due to the shape of its bunches.
MENU
|
![]() |
WINE LOCATOR
SEARCH
|
Among Abruzzo’s great treasures are the large national parks and wilderness areas in its segment of the Apennine Mountains. Above it all, the mighty massifs of Majella and Gran Sasso, with the highest peaks of the Apennines, rule the skyline. The lower elevations of the mountains share the beauty, pristine air, bright sunshine, and large diurnal temperature excursions of the higher parklands, with warmer overall climates that are more suitable for agriculture. Vineyards have been planted here and there in the foothills of Abruzzo over time, even though they are not suitable for the high-volume production that was more typical in the second half of the 20th century.
One such vineyard was planted in 1971 in the vicinity of San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore, not far from Majella National Park. The 10-acre vineyard, with a southern exposure at an elevation of about 1,200 feet, was planted with Abruzzo’s all-encompassing red grape variety, Montepulciano—but of an unusual subtype. The Montepulciano vines were a more flavorful but less prolific biotype that had two lobes, one half the size of the other. These oddly shaped bunches were reminiscent of the shape of the continent of Africa and came to be dubbed the “Africa clone.”
In 2000, the vineyard was purchased to become the basis for the Binomio project. Stefano Inama of Azienda Agricola Inama and Sabatino Di Properzio of Fattoria La Valentina had met three years earlier, struck up a friendship, and decided to partner in the development of a great Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine. They did some preliminary trials in the 1998 and 1999 vintages before finding the Africa clone vineyard in San Valentino. The vineyard had gone through several owners in three decades due to its low productivity, but the small-berried, low-yield bunches proved to be just what they needed to make a sumptuous, modern Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with mature tannins that was ready to be drunk right away rather than needing additional cellaring or decanting.
|
LOCATIONWINERY: Fattoria La Valentina, Spoltore, Abruzzo VINEYARD: San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore (Pescara province), Abruzzo VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
|
92
MARCH 2020
Binomio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2015
![]() Intense garnet color and dense blackberry nose; velvety and deep; meaty and juicy with concentration and generous flavors. It's made with an ancient biotype of Montepulciano called the African clone due to the shape of its bunches. 91
APRIL 2021
Binomio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2016
![]() The 2016 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva is rich and dark with a mix of ripe plums and cherries, complemented by sweet herbs, violets and hints of brown sugar. Its textures are silky, cast across a weighty framework, with a more savory display of red and black fruits, along with notes of roasted almond and mocha. The density and sheer heft of the 2016 is notable, yet the Riserva maintains balance throughout. There’s an underlying structure and acidity here to warrant cellaring, if you so choose. 92
OCTOBER 2021
Binomio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Riserva 2016
![]() This luxe red blends tones of brandy-soaked cherries and blackberries with heady doses of mentholated tobacco, clove and cured meat. Smooth, creamy tannins and bright acidity yield a full-bodied palate that is rounded and polished. It's accessible now but should hold well through 2028 |