Tiberio
Fonte Canale Trebbiano d’Abruzzo – 2022
Region: Italy - Abruzzo
Tiberio
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 1150 feet/350 meters, twenty three miles inland from the seaside city of Pescara near the hillside town of Cugnoli, Riccardo Tiberio found an old plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese vines roughly 50 years old so impressive that he decided to change his and his family’s destiny.
Over a decade ago, Cristiana and Antonio, daughter and son of Riccardo, took over reins of Tiberio. Cristiana, a chemistry specialist who also teaches college sommelier and enology classes, handles winemaking and is the global brand ambassador. Antonio leads grapegrowing and viticulture. The dynamic team have established Tiberio, and Abruzzo, in the forefront of leading-edge wine making and renown in this central part of Italy. Today, Tiberio farms 74 acres/30 hectares of vines.
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
Estate Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOP vineyard in Cugnoli.
- Massal selection, propagated from original, indigenous grapes found on the property
- Total Vineyard Area: 3700 acres/1500 ha
- Altitude: 1150 feet/350 meters
- Soils: Limestone, marly-clay over sandstone-rich bedrock
- Vine Age: 94 years
- Vine Training System: Canopy
- Planting density: 2500 vines/Ha
Harvest Notes
- Hand harvested end September
- Free run juice, fermented using only native yeasts in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks
- No malolactic fermentation
- Aged in tank and bottle 18 months
- Bottled without fining or filtration
Winemaker's Notes
Straw yellow with green glints. Brilliant and mineral with green apple, apricot, lemon peel and tangerine notes, complemented by hints of white flowers and anise. Vibrant, precise and chrystalline. A lemony laser beam of acidity surrounded by the rich and tactile palate. Finishes long with a flinty yet creamy texture and finely integrated minerality.
Wine Summary
100% massal selection Trebbiano d’Abruzzese, original to property; alcohol: 12.5%; 94 year old vines planted in limestone, marly-clay soils over sandstone-rich bedrock; fermented in stainless steel tanks using only native yeasts; no secondary fermentation; aged 18 months in tank and bottle; bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Technical Information
- 100% massal selection Trebbiano Abruzzese
- Alcohol: 12.5%
Reviews
#6 – 2024 Select 100 Best Italian Wines of the Year – Ian D’Agata
https://iandagatawine.com/2024/12/04/ian-dagatas-2024-select-100-best-italian-wines-of-the-year/
Ian D'Agata Wine Review, December, 2024
94 Points
Bright silver-green yellow colour. Dried lime, pear and beeswax on the nose, with a suave white flower undertone. Nicely focused and varietally accurate citrus and orchard fruit flavours are complicated by flinty minerals and pear skin nuances and a hint of mint. Becomes sweeter and deeper on the finish, featuring juicy tropical fruit and white peach nuances. Lovely in its vibrant mineral, edgy personality. This is the last vintage of the Fonte Canale being bottled as a Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: starting with the 2023 vintage it will be called Fonte Canale only. 2026 – 2031
Ian D'Agata Wine Review, March, 2025
96 Points
The 2022 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fonte Canale lifts from the glass with utter poise. It’s citric and mineral-driven, displaying a cascade of wildflowers, crushed rocks, nectarines and hints of raw almond. The 2022 is elegant in style with subtle textures and depths of saline-infused orchard fruits, all offset by a spike of lemony acidity. Saturating and long, it tapers off with a flinty personality, plus a twang of gingery spice that lingers so long. The 2022 is stacked, powerful and intense, but it has an inner harmony that soothes the soul. 2026 – 2034
Vinous, May, 2025
General Info
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Abruzzo |
| Appellation(s) | Abruzzo |
| Proprietors | Riccardo, Cristiana, Antonio Tiberio (father, daughter, son) |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Winemaker | Cristiana Tiberio |
| Annual Production | 8,300 9L cases |
| Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic) | Sustainable |