Valentini

Edoardo Valentini could be considered one of Italy's great grape growers and winemakers. His dedication to quality was so strict that he would savagely sell-off, in bulk, around 90% of his production, leaving only the very best to appear under the Valentini label. I regard his wines as exceptional: I would even go as far as to say that his Trebbiano d'Abruzzo is the most incredible white wine in Italy.

The winery is based in the beautiful Abruzzo town of Loreto Aprutino and is now run by Edoardo's son Francesco, who continues his late father's strict quality regime.

Three wines are produced, but only some years. The white is Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, made from the excellent Trebbiano Abruzzese variety (no relation to the ubiquitous Trebbiano Toscano or any other variety with the Trebbiano prefix). Deep straw in colour when young, evolving into gold. This variety's essence is made from low yields from Valentini's beautiful pergola-trained vines rather than any alchemy in the winery.

The rose, unlike any other, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, is made from Montepulciano, vinified like a white with only a short maceration in the press. The Red, also from Montepulciano, is a masterclass in richness, complexity, and authenticity.

I rank Valentini in the same category as Quintarelli, Biondi Santi, Soldera, and Giacomo Conterno as Italy's greatest producers. They always preserve their traditions and maintain their quality and typicity through successive generations.