2021 Terraviva Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Superiore - Mario's 49

Terraviva is an organic and biodynamic farm nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso, the highest mountain in Abruzzo. Pietro Topi and his children Federica and Francesco run the farm that nonno Mario purchased in 1970. Abruzzo is perhaps best known for its iconic red wine, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, but white wines made from trebbiano abruzzese and pecorino have become an equally important part of the landscape - and equally prized by cognoscenti of Italian wine.

Even cognoscenti blithely talk about “trebbiano” as though it were a single variety, but it’s a group of more than a dozen mostly-unrelated varieties that happen to share a first name. Trebbiano toscano is the most widely-planted and arguably one of the least interesting for winemaking. Trebbiano abruzzese on the other hand is interessantissimo, with the capability to make wines of great structure and complexity. To make matters more confusing, the wine appellation Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (Trebbiano from Abruzzo) allows wines made from the inferior trebbiano toscano variety or the superior trebbiano abruzzese variety. This wine is the latter.

Terraviva’s Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 'Mario's 49' is an homage to nonno Mario, who is no longer with us; 2021 would have been his 49th harvest. It’s from 50-year-old vines trained high in the traditional pergola abruzzese. It aged 50% in stainless steel vats and 50% in old barrels. The wine has a penetrating spicy and herbaceous nose. This is a powerful, highly savory white wine with saltiness, scintillating acidity, and impressive depth and length. Enjoy it with seafood risotto or fresher cheeses, especially those made from sheep’s milk.