Vigna del Convento Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC 2015 - Valle Reale

The Vigna del Convento is the latest cru in chronological order cut out within the surface of the vineyards planted in the municipality of Capestrano. It consists of 4.5 hectares that extend over the highest part of the land, once cultivated with vineyards and vegetable gardens, pertaining to the ancient Convent of San Francesco, built starting from the mid-15th century on a hill overlooking the small village of Capestrano. Founded by San Giovanni da Capestrano (1386 - 1456), who together with San Bernardino da Siena spread Franciscanism throughout the world, the convent is today a treasure chest that contains the history of this part of the Abruzzo region in a library full of ancient manuscripts and bubbles original papal. In 2003 we planted the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo rooted cuttings from the ancient Popoli vineyard, on a lean soil rich in skeleton but with a good clayey component that allows the soil to retain water, relieving the water stress of the vines in the most dormant periods . With its south-east exposure and such constant sunshine, during its first year the vineyard faced the hottest harvest of the last century. Another initial difficulty was the discovery in 2004 of a ferrous chlorosis, which jeopardized the development of the roots of the vines and which, to be eradicated, required five long years of commitment and care for the individual plants. The microclimate so different from that of the Popoli plateau has two important consequences: here the harvest takes place on average two to three weeks earlier depending on the year and a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that stands out for its power and concentration compared to those produced in the other Valle Reale crus.