Tiberio

Located 350 meters above sea level, twenty-three km from the coastal city of Pescara, in the hills of Cugnoli, Riccardo Tiberio found an old plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese vineyard about 60 years old which changed the destiny of him and his whole family. As export manager for a well-known winery in the region, Riccardo knew what the best grape varieties of Abruzzo could offer and what the new world of wine expected. He plunged into the enterprise in 2000, buying the eight-hectare plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese with 31 hectares of land suited to his needs. Guided by his thirty years of experience and supported by one of the most renowned nurseries in Italy, Riccardo planted an assortment of indigenous varieties in the different soils of the estate. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Trebbiano Abruzzese, and Aglianico were planted together with Pecorino and Moscato di Castiglione clones from an ancient vineyard in the area. Experiments with international varieties were also carried out. When Tiberio released his first vintage in 2004, wine experts from all over the world began to appreciate the “mineral” whites and fruity reds typical of the Tiberio estate. In 2008 Riccardo passed the reins of the cellar to his children, his daughter Cristiana and his son Antonio. The role of agronomist went to Antonio while Cristiana takes care of the cellar. Chemistry graduate and trained in Champagne and Australia, knowledge enhanced by repeated visits to the Moselle and Chablis. Cristiana is not ignorant of the science and sense of wine. In 2011 Cristiana took over all the oenological responsibilities in the company and together with Antonio decided to weed out the international varieties and replace them with additional Pecorino and Trebbiano Abruzzese. They chose to use only massal selections from their old vines because they believed that these gave deeper, more complex and generally better wines than those obtained with clonal selection. Tiberio's Trebbiano Abruzzese vines are notable as being among the oldest in Abruzzo and it is important to note that it is rare to find authentic Trebbiano Abruzzese in the region. In fact, many “Trebbiano Abruzzese” vines in Abruzzo are planted with Bombino Bianco, Mostosa or Trebbiano Toscano, which until recently was routinely confused with Trebbiano Abruzzese. These four varieties, although they show similar characteristics, are actually completely different varieties. Trebbiano Abruzzese, which has nothing in common with the better known and less qualitative Trebbiano Toscano, is the noblest of these four cultivars, and produces a wine which, while delicate and light, shows a solid and complex structure. Furthermore, Agricola Tiberio also benefits from some of the oldest Pecorino plantings in the region (planted in 2000). The undulating hills of Abruzzo which extend from the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea are characterized by a pleasant sea breeze and cold currents which arrive from the Maiella massif. The area was inhabited by the ancient Romans "villae rusticate" large organized agricultural entities and grapes were one of their crops. Although the land is Roman in history, Cristiana and Antonio have a modern perspective in the cellar and take care of their estate with great care. The Tiberio brothers have only one goal in mind: MAKING QUALITY WINE THAT CLEARLY EXPRESSES THE VARIETY AND THE LAND FROM WHICH IT COMES FROM. The Trebbiano Abruzzese and Pecorino varieties are planted on calcareous soils. This in combination with the cold breezes that come from the mountains and the sea, produce a "mineral" wine with acidity and structure as their hallmark. The red wines are planted on mixed calcareous and clayey soils. Cristiana and Antonio try to express great freshness of the fruit in their wines, also in the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOP and are planning to launch a more full-bodied, rich and aging Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva in the near future. Since the birth of the company, Tiberio wines have stood out for a great success with critics and the public. Gambero Rosso has awarded almost all their wines with Due Bicchieri over the years and with Tre Bicchieri their Pecorino 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Furthermore, the prestigious English magazine Decanter has designated Tiberio as one of the “emerging stars in Italy” in 2013, and the excellent reviews from the International Wine Cellar (for example 93/100 for Pecorino 2012) confirm Agricola Tiberio as one of the most interesting, albeit young, Italian wine producers today.