La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Spelt 2017

Abruzzo, Italy Vinous 92 points! Fattoria La Valentina, founded in 1990 by Sabatino Di Properzio, is located in Spoltore on the central Adriatic coast. In recent years several artisan producers have arrived on the scene and are turning out top quality wines from Abruzzo’s indigenous Montepulciano and Trebbiano varietals. La Valentina is at the forefront of this movement. Two major developments in 1998 supported this goal - initiating the Binomio project with Stefano Inama and hiring Luca D’Attoma as winemaker. While taking a very traditional approach to farming and employing organic and biodynamic farming methods, Di Properzio also uses current technology, ensuring the fruit’s integrity from grape to glass. "The 2017 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Spelt wafts up with a display of savory cherry sauce and wild herbs complemented by hints of sweet spice and smoke. It’s velvety in texture yet lifted and refined, with a mix of polished red and black fruits and a web of fine-grained tannins toward the close. While youthfully structured and poised, a lasting flourish of licorice, currant and tobacco lingers incredibly long. As enjoyable as this is today, the 2017 needs another year or two of cellaring to show its best.”—Vinous, 92 points! Enjoy La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva Spelt over the next 12-14 years with a grilled steak, osso buco, lasagna, and aged cheeses.