Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC Amphora 2020

For the wines of the Amphora line, Francesco Cirelli uses almost exclusively his own grape material from his Azienda Agricola in the south of the Teramo sub-region. The farm lies adjacent to the Calanchi, the limestone slopes eroded and craggy over centuries.

Cirelli concentrates on the three grape varieties of Abruzzo, Trebbiano, Pecorino and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and produces a total of four wines from them with the Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo. The grapes for the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Amphora are destemmed and gently pressed after a 24-hour maceration period in the amphora. The must is then returned to the buried amphorae where it ferments spontaneously and also undergoes BSA. The wines are given a little sulphur for stabilisation before bottling.

Rich golden yellow with bright reflections.

The nose of the 2020 Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Amphora by Francesco Cirelli shows great calm and clarity in the goblet and is more reminiscent of an infusion than of wine. Hay flowers, camomile tea and green tea are complemented by dried fruits such as cucumbers and apple rings, along with green almonds, wet limestone, terracotta tiles and a bunch of fresh herbs for Frankfurt's green sauce with an extra sprig of borage. An earthy drink with a fine spiciness.

The nose is marked by ageing in amphorae and is polished with silky, fine-grained tannins and immense depth. A balanced drink with high density and tension, subtle and anything but garrulous. With animatingly stimulating tannins, it also seems more like a tea on the palate than trying to shine via primary fruit cascades. The fruit shows itself in the extract alone, the wine as a structural concept with tart character and saline backbone in the long, crisp dry finish. Modern Abruzzo with self-assured standing.