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Tiberio

Tiberio

Cristian Tiberio is taking the world of Italian wine by storm. Since taking over her family's Abruzzo estate in 2008, she's turned heads with her incredible bottlings of local varieties. She now ranks as one of the most-respected white wine producers in all of Italy. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Cristina Tiberio is the new queen of Italian winemakers.And to top it all off, her wines come in at remarkably affordable prices.

The Bianco
The Tiberio estate has plenty of old vines but is itself very young. Riccardo Tiberio was a longtime wine merchant in Abruzzo before he purchased the estate in the late 90s. What drew the family to this place originally was its store of rare grape varieties. In particular, Riccardo was drawn to the plot of Trebbiano Abruzesse – the rare and highly-coveted local Trebbiano clone – he found. Whereas most Trebbiano is pleasant but innocuous, Trebbiano Abruzzese is a different beast entirely, with incredible aromatic complexity and 'Chablis-like" cut. Paired with Cristiana's experience working with white wine legends Egon Muller in the Mosel and Nicolas Joly in the Loire, you get some of the most thrilling, incisive, and distinctive wines in Italy. This is a world-class wine at weeknight prices. Tasting this wine it was clear this is not a simple crisp white.  Huge aromas of yellow fruits, a weighty intensity and ripeness on the midpalate, with a gorgeous mineral-driven acid backbone to wrap it together.

 In addition to the Trebbiano,  Cristiana also has a remarkable touch with the Pecorino grape (unrelated to the cheese). This grape is a local specialty, with more herbal aromatics and fleshier body than Trebbiano. While she originally garnered praise for her work with Trebbiano and Montepulciano, Cristiana's Pecorino might be her best bottling.And despite it's easy price tag, this is a wine that drinks deliciously now or can be laid down for years. Ian D'Agata of Vinous  did a vertical tasting going back to 2005, with very promising results.

The white wines are amazing, but it doesn't end there...

The Rosato
Tasting her new release of Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo and both her little Montepulciano d'Abruzzo up to her single vineyard Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, it is laser-clear that these wine are not just built around enjoyment, but to be enjoyed with food.  For those that do not know, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is an Italian DOC designation of rose made from the Montepulciano grape in the Abruzzo region Cerasuolo is a bit of a mindbender, it often is. These are not Provence style wines. They are more serious and can be structured, often perfect for food. Tiberio's is a deeper pink toned, with a nose of hyper fresh raspberry and strawberry, a medium bodied palate offers almost some light red wine textures and flavors, whole the fruit is generous it leads to a taught finish with some very light tannins.  It is absolutely delicious and such a wine that begs to be your perfect food wine.  

The Rosso
Moving to the reds, the entry-level Montepulciano was really aromatic-- deep red fruit with hints of purple magic marker, the palate showed more purple fruits, was fleshy, ripe and dark, with structured but velvety and taught grape skin tannins, those you might find from longer maceration times.  I just want to drink this every night with dinner!

I also tasted her special single vineyard bottling called "Archivio".  Wow!  An intense beast of a wine.  Notes of chocolate and very dark brambly fruits, very dense, very dark, very chewy. Very serious! It reminds me very much of Paolo Bea's style of winemaking- long macerations, layers of complexity, ripe and dark with ripe and velvety tannins. Arguably the best wine of the lineup, but with the price tag to go along with it!

Though I did not get to taste it, I am also including her most prized wine, the single vineyard "Colle Vota" made from a special plot of high altitude Montepulciano.  This wine is often compared to the Pinot Noirs of Burgundy, or Nebbiolo from Barolo.  Vinous gave this a 96 point score and a glowing note:  Wildly perfumed and elegant from the first tilt of the glass, the 2021 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colle Vota wafts up with a bouquet of confectionary spices, dusty dried flowers, incense and dried strawberries. This is graceful and lifted in feel, with chalky mineral tones and woodland berries propelled by tantalizing acidity. A savory herbal tinge lingers through the long and tannic finish as the Colle Vota tapers off with tremendous length and a resonance of lavender pastille. It’s a radiant Montepulciano built for the cellar. 2028 – 2038

Tiberio is a benchmark for the wines of Abruzzo, and Italy. We love them, we love the prices, and know you will too.  Bring some Abruzzo to your winter meals this season!

Wine arrive tomorrow.  

All wines are discounted from their original prices with case discounts built in!.

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