Trebbiano d'Abruzzo: A Grape Variety That Transcends Time

Last month I had the privilege of tasting a great Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, a memorable wine I want to tell you about. We're talking about the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Altare 1996, one of the most successful products from the Abruzzo winery Marramiero. The winery, which has been operating for twenty years in Contrada Sant'Andrea in Rosciano (in the province of Pescara), is an example of how quality wine can be made starting from traditional grape varieties.
Cantina Marramiero is situated in a particularly striking position, on a hilltop at over 200 meters above sea level facing the sea. Yet at the same time it is discreetly sheltered from behind by the nearly 3,000 meters of the Gran Sasso. The particular geographical position of the more than 30 hectares of vineyard favors considerable temperature variations between night and day and between summer and winter.

This phenomenon, together with soil characterized by clay and tuff and low yields, aids the vegetative process and the accumulation of aromas and polyphenolic compounds in the young berries of the many grape varieties cultivated. Among these is the Trebbiano, which is produced from vines over 50 years old, with yields below 60 quintals per hectare. Harvesting is carried out manually at different levels of berry ripeness, depending on the type of exposure of the vineyards.

At the end of the harvest, with the bunches transported in small crates, in the winery the pressing is gentle and the free-run must is transferred into new barrique for cold maceration carried out at around 3°C. At the end of the process, which involves a skillful use of oak, the wine is ready to be tried but also to be forgotten in the cellar. I thus tasted a sample of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Altare a full 18 years old, still absolutely intact and seductive.

Of a beautiful deep golden yellow color but with still greenish glints, it is a wine that emanates its own light, with a clarity classifiable between crystalline and brilliant. Swirling the glass forms thick arches with tears that slowly descend along its sides. Of great body, it is a substantial wine.

On the nose it is powerful, intense in olfactory impact and complex for the long sequence of aromas it releases. Spicy notes of vanilla, toasted and smoky nuances immediately emerge, an unmistakable sign of vinification in barrique where the wine also spent a period of 18 months. Then I perceive ripe fruit, apricot jam and candied fruit, balsamic notes of eucalyptol, acacia honey and hydrocarbons in the long finish.

On the palate the wine confirms its impressive beauty. It is dry, warm with its 14 degrees of alcohol, soft and velvety on the palate, with a vibrant fresh-savory backbone that makes it perfectly balanced, mature and harmonious. Still intense and very persistent on the gustatory examination, with clear fruity, mineral and balsamic retro-olfactory returns.

A "coming-of-age" wine, capable of transcending time in an incredible way. A wine that demonstrates the great expressive potential of a grape variety — the Trebbiano — capable of giving us unique emotions, if treated appropriately in the vineyard and subsequently in the winery. Should you still find a bottle around, this Trebbiano is best paired with delicate yet strongly personality-driven preparations on the gustatory-olfactory level, such as a risotto allo zafferano e funghi porcini.