The 2021 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne Branella is spicy and floral, with a smoky burst of grilled herbs and autumnal spice complementing dried black cherries. This is elegant and seamlessly silky, with depths of dark red and blue fruits that slowly saturate. All is underscored by saline minerals as a coating of grippy tannins emerges toward the close. It finishes with staining length and concentration, leaving bitter blackberries and violet inner florals to resonate on. The 2021 will be
More savory than sweet, the 2020 Trebbiano d'Abruzzo slowly opens with a rich blend of raw almonds and smoky crushed stone, giving way to dried nectarines and hints of sage. This seductress is ripe and succulent upon entry, yet with a salty, sultry core of minerality, blending sour lime with apricots and liquid stone. The 2020 ends with a lemony concentration and herbal thrust, tapering off saline and lightly structured yet incredibly fresh. The 2020 is simply spellbinding.Eric Guido, Vinous
Good bright yellow. The pure, complex nose suggests lime, yellow apple and botanical herbs. Then very precise, intense and penetrating, if still youthfully unevolved, conveying a powerful, three-dimensional impression of extract and a deep, textured, multilayered mouthfeel. The wine closes very long and juicy, with herbal and saline elements that titillate the taste buds. Another outstanding wine from Valentini, who never misses a beat with his Trebbiano d’Abruzzo.Ian d'Agata, Vinous 93+ P
This is the first vintage of this wine to be released since we saw the 2006 edition. It's been way too long, I'd say. Slightly held back or restrained on first nose, the Valentini 2012 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo opens slowly and contemplatively to sensations of dark fruit, smoke, tobacco and cured meat. Despite the rather heavy and sun-drenched nature of that first wave of aromas, it's impossible to miss the enormous intensity and textural richness packed tightly underneath. That full-bodied power
