Grower Website Tiberio Region: Italy - Abruzzo

The story of Azienda Agricola Tiberio rings more like a new world tale than one from the old world of the ancient lands beneath the Majella and Gran Sasso mountains in Abruzzo. At 1,150 feet (350 meters), 23 miles inland from the seaside city of Pescara near the hillside town of Cugnoli, Riccardo Tiberio discovered an extraordinary parcel of 60-year-old Trebbiano Abruzzese vines, vines so compelling that it changed the course of his family’s destiny.

He understood that true Trebbiano Abruzzese was a rarity, not to be confused with Trebbiano Toscano and other similar looking but entirely different varieties that had often been planted in its place. As export manager for a well-known regional cantina, Riccardo knew both the potential of Abruzzo’s native grapes and the expectations of the modern wine world.

He made the plunge in 2000, purchasing the 8-hectare (19.77 acres) old vine plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese with 31 hectares (76.60 acres) of land suitable for his single estate wines. Guided by decades of experience and one of Italy’s most renowned nurseries, Riccardo planted a selection of indigenous varieties matched to the different soil characteristics in the vineyard. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano Abruzzese, and Aglianico, were planted along with Pecorino and Moscato di Castiglione clones from ancient vines in the area. Experiments with small plantings of international varietals were also undertaken. When Tiberio released its first vintage in 2004 the wine cognoscenti took notice of Tiberio’s mineral whites and fruit forward reds.

Today, Tiberio farms 30 hectares (74.13 acres) of vineyards in an uncontaminated landscape filled with biodiversity. A territory that enjoys a peculiar microclimate with a pleasant sea breeze coming from the Adriatic coast and cold mountain currents coming from the Maiella massif. The vineyards, planted on calcareous, mixed limestone and clay soils, come from massal selections of ancient native varieties of Trebbiano Abruzzese, Pecorino and Montepulciano. The age of the vineyards varies between 25 and 90 years, and the Trebbiano Abruzzese vines are among the oldest in Abruzzo.

WINEMAKER
In 2008, Riccardo Tiberio handed over the reins of the winery to his highly competent children, daughter Cristiana and son Antonio. The role of agronomist goes to Antonio while Cristiana handles the winemaking duties.

Cristiana is a chemistry graduate and teaches college level winemaking chemistry and sommelier classes. She has an impressive list of training stints including Jacques Selosse in Champagne, Nicolas Joly at Coulee de Serrant, Egon Muller in the Mosel, and various producers in Chablis. She has even been “down under” to Australia’s Clare Valley. In 2011 she took over all the winemaking duties and is now solely responsible for the wines made at the estate. You can assume from her resume that structure and minerality are key to her style.

While Cristiana has traveled the world, she believes “that you can only truly make a wine with the greatest expression of the place if you have lived there and really understand the climate and sense of the place.”

Vineyards

The rolling Abruzzo hills, which slope down from the Apennines toward the Adriatic Sea, are characterized by mild sea breezes and cool air currents coming in from the The Majella massif—a large, wild limestone mountain range in the Central Apennines.

Tiberio’s Trebbiano Abruzzese vines are amongst the oldest in Abruzzo. Most of the vineyards in Abruzzo’s are planted to Bombino Bianco, Mostosa, and Trebbiano Toscano which were, until very recently, often confused with Trebbiano Abruzzese. While the four share similar features they are distinct varieties. Trebbiano Abruzzese is the most noble of the four, producing wines that are delicate and light bodied, but also have great depth and complexity. Tiberio’s Pecorino vines, planted in 2001, are also amongst the oldest in the region. Today, the vineyards cover 74 acres (30 ha).

In 2011, Antonio and Cristiana decided to uproot the international varieties in Tiberio’s vineyards, and replaced them with more Pecorino and Trebbiano Abruzzese. They chose to use massal selections from their oldest vines because over the years they found that they create deeper, more complex and altogether better wines than those made from clonal selections.

Evolution of Tiberio

2000:  Riccardo Tiberio purchased the property in Cugnoli with 8 hectare of old canopy of original and rare Trebbiano Abruzzese vines and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo plus 22 hectares of open fields  bordering the old canopy.

2000-2004:  Tiberio started the clonal study of each old vine of the old vineyards, selected vine by vine the best branches to make Massal selections.

2000: Tiberio planted new vineyards of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo using Massal selections.

2000: Experiments with small plantings of international varietals were undertaken.

2001: Planted Pecorino vineyards using massal selection.

2004: In the old vineyard of Trebbiano Abruzzese Cristiana and Antonio Tiberio removed all the vines of Trebbiano, Pecorino, and Malvasia make this vineyard 100% Trebbiano Abruzzese original clone, 50 years old.

2004:  First harvest – Wines produced – Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

2005: First vintage of Pecorino and Cerasuolo.

2007: Cristiana produced the first vintage of Fonte Canale wine.

2008: Riccardo Tiberio handed over the reins of the winery to his highly competent children, daughter Cristiana and son Antonio. The role of viticulturalist goes to Antonio while Cristiana handles the winemaking duties.

2011: Cristiana took over all the winemaking duties and is now solely responsible for the wines made at the estate.

2011: Antonio and Cristiana decided to uproot the international varieties and to replace them with more Pecorino and Trebbiano Abruzzese. They chose to use massal selections from their oldest vines because over the years they found that their massal selections gave much deeper, more complex, and altogether better wines than those made from clonal selections.

2012: First vintage of Fonte Canale offered commercially.

2012: Cristiana started using indigenous yeasts.

2013: Tiberio planted new Trebbiano Abruzzese vines using massal selection.

2014: Planted new vineyard of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo using massal selection.

2014: First vintage of special Montepulciano d’Abruzzo single vineyard.