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La Valentina is a leading example of the modern renaissance of winemaking in Abruzzo. The region has a history as a source of inexpensive bulk wine production, but a new generation of winemakers have dedicated themselves to harnessing the excellent terroir to produce high quality rather than high quantity—and La Valentina is at the forefront of this movement.
Rather than turning to international grape varieties or varieties that are more at home in other regions, the Di Properzio brothers remain true to the traditional varieties associated with Abruzzo: Montepulciano and Trebbiano Abruzzese, along with a time-honored but almost forgotten variety, Pecorino. The shift in focus is not in the grapes but in the way they are grown and vinified.
It all starts with the land, and in addition to vineyards close to the winery, La Valentina has acquired several vineyard sites that are located at higher elevations in the foothills of the Apennines, near a national park in pristine conditions. In all their vineyards, the Di Properzios have made a strong commitment to sustainability—avoiding the use of artificial or chemical products, ensuring maximum biodiversity, and relying on minimal intervention in the land’s natural processes. To this end, all the estate vineyards have been certified organic since 2016.
La Valentina’s winemaking is managed by consulting enologist Luca D’Attoma, who joined the winery team in 1998. The winery’s philosophy is to intervene as little as possible in the natural wine growing processes, adhering to the concept that high-quality wine “has the mark of the vine on its grapes.” By ensuring that the land remains highly fertile and keeping the plants healthy, they are able to fight off parasites and disease on their own and express themselves fully and produce the healthiest possible grapes of the absolute highest quality. The emphasis on sustainability continues in the winery where they use electricity only from renewable sources and practicing water-saving procedures.
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LA VALENTINA TREBBIANO D’ABRUZZO DOC
The white entry in La Valentina’s Classica line is this Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, made from mostly Trebbiano Abruzzese grapes—a superior type of Trebbiano. |
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LOCATIONWINERY: Spoltore (Pescara province), Abruzzo VINEYARD: Pescara province, Abruzzo VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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89
APRIL 2021
La Valentina Pecorino Colline Pescaresi IGT 2019
 The 2019 Pecorino mixes savory with spicy and sweet in a display that contrasts honied florals with tart orchard fruits and zests of citrus. This is silky, almost oily in feel, showing ripe pear and nectarine cast across a core of bright acidity. Notes of mango and papaya linger through the long and tropical finale. Although fruit-forward and extroverted in character, the 2019 maintains balance.  SEPTEMBER 2021
La Valentina "Spelt" Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC Superiore 2020
 89
JUNE 2021
La Valentina Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC 2020
The 2020 Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo charms with a delicate display of wild strawberries, nuanced florals and hints of stone dust. It’s a vibrant and juicy effort that fleshes out across the palate with mineral-tinged fruits and savory spice. A buzz of residual acids lingers, forcing the mouth to water, as this tapers off to hard red candies and inner rose tones. The 2020 La Valentina is a spirited Cerasuolo for poolside sipping 92
JUNE 2021
La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2018
 Plum, blackberry, bay leaf and spices on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, sleek tannins. Juicy with lively acidity and a fruity, spicy finish. Drink now. 92
MARCH 2021
La Valentina “Bellovedere” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Terre dei Vestini Riserva DOC 2015
 "This polished red is medium- to full-bodied and harmonious, with fine, creamy tannins married to flavors of crushed black cherry, dried sage and rich, loamy earth, with a hint of espresso. Bright and lingering on the spiced finish. Drink now through 2030. 1,200 cases made, 150 cases imported." 93
APRIL 2020
La Valentina “Bellovedere” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Terre dei Vestini Riserva DOC 2015
 This wine is only made in the best years when the Montepulciano grapes, harvested at the end of October, reach satisfactory ripeness. Then, the La Valentina 2015 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Terre dei Vestini Riserva Bellovedere (with a mere 6,000 bottles produced) sees 18 months of oak aging, producing a balanced and fruit-forward expression. The wine shows the kind of soft ripeness and exuberance that is characteristic of this warm and sunny vintage. Celebrate it with a braised lamb. 93
APRIL 2021
La Valentina “Bellovedere” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Terre dei Vestini Riserva DOC 2016
The 2016 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva Bellovedere is dark yet elegant, with an inviting bouquet of blackberries, crushed violets, exotic spice and hints of camphor. This is silky in texture with a savory, almost-salty display of wild berries and minerals, all balanced by brisk acids. You can hardly feel its fine-grained tannins settling in until the very end, as the palate aches under the Bellovedere’s youthful structure, with echoes of licorice and black fruits lingering long. That said, the balance here is on point, and all the 2016 needs is a few more years of cellaring to really shine. 89
MARCH 2021
La Valentina “Spelt” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva DOC 2016
"Pretty notes of candied violet and star anise waft through the black raspberry fruit in this chewy, medium- to full-bodied red, which is lightly mouthwatering, with a tangy, mineral-laced finish. Drink now through 2026. 11,000 cases made, 2,200 cases imported." |
