A couple of days ago Tony Lemmo and I paid a visit to Lamberto Vannucci and his father Mariano. It was Sunday, and the weekend of Cantine Aperte. There was a major party at the winery which was finally broken up by a thunderstorm (happens every year here for Cantine Aperte, apparently). Lamberto's top cuvées, Castellum Vetus, are stunningly impressive interpretations of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (DOCG Colline Teramane) and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. Both wines are age-worthy in the extreme.
Live rockabilly band for Cantine Aperte
Lamberto and Mariano show their 2006 Castellum Vetus Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. The wine was magnificent. Lamberto refuses to take any credit for what he has produced, preferring to credit the vineyard.
Looking out the window of the tasting room, one sees the vineyard for Castellum Vetus Trebbiano. The vines were planted in 1982, and trained on pergola, the old way. It's harder to control yields with pergola, so a green harvest is necessary. However, these vines are Trebbiano Abruzzese instead of the now-often-planted Trebbiano Toscano. An important distinction if terroir is what you're looking for in your wines.
