LLS Portfolio Book

Valle Reale

Valle Reale was founded in 2000 with the goal of producing world-class wines. The Pizzolo family, in close consultation with Professor Leonardo Valenti and the agronomic faculty of the University of Milan, are working to develop a model for central Italian wines and winemaking. Working primarily with the Montepulciano varietal, they aim to create wines that highlight the grape’s intrinsic qualities: strength, exuberance, vitality, color, elegance, balance and depth. The process begins with the careful selection of clones that are best suited to Valle Reale’s soil and climate, and therefore best express the distinct characteristics of the varietal. Their success is evident in the young, vibrant DOC wine, and even more so in the cru, a new benchmark for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC Organic Grapes Although the DOC rules for Trebbiano d’Abruzzo permit some of the highest yields in Italy (5.6 tons per acre), Valle Reale yields much less (4.4 tons per acre) from their Trebbiano vines for maximum concentration of aromas and flavors. Valle Reale’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is the product of certified Organic grapes which undergo spontaneous fermentation that is carried out by indigenous yeasts. All of this helps to create a wine that is truly unique and reflective of its terroir.

Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC Vigna del Convento di Capestrano As the label reads, this wine is “spontaneously fermented” and “unfiltered.” The first statement means that only natural or “wild” yeasts are used in the vinification of this wine. Unfiltered wines are not passed through a micron filter prior to bottling. Together, these processes result in a fuller, more terroir-driven wine with a delicious character.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC Organic Grapes Made from 100% Montepulciano grapes, Valle Reale’s Cerasuolo, which translates to “cherry-red,” is a deeply colored rosé produced by a short maceration before separating the juice from the skins. Cool summer nights, windswept days, and thin, stony soils characterize the section of vineyard from which the fruit for this wine is sourced. Spontaneous fermentation initiated and carried out by indigenous yeasts add further to the complex aromas and flavors of this wine.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Organic Grapes The organic Montepulciano grapes that produce this wine are sourced from two separate vineyards: Popoli and Capestrano. Capestrano’s soaring summer temperatures and silty soils yield richness and structure. The rocky and exposed terrain of Popoli bestows fragrance and freshness. Spontaneous fermentation binds the raw materials into a sum that is greater than its individual parts—a wine that is both rich and elegant, and speaks clearly of its terroir.

WINES OF CENTRAL ITALY

61