A deep ruby color, this wine offers intense aromas of ripe black berry, cassis, wild strawberry and spices. A full-bodied wine with ripe tannins, pronounced fruit and great length.

Binomio is the brainchild of Stefano Inama from Azienda Agricola Inama and Sabatino Di Properzio from Fattoria la Valentina. The idea was simple and born from their conviction that Montepulciano is a grape of extraordinary potential. High yields and poor vinification had robbed it of character in much the same way that Garganega had been squandered in Soave. Planted in 1971, the Binomio vineyard sits at an elevation of 985- 1,640 feet on clay and limestone soil. The vineyard is planted exclusively with the lowyielding Africa clone that produces short-tailed bunches with small berries that resemble the shape of the African continent. The unique combination of mountainous terroir, old vines, and a strict selection produce a wine which displays the concentration and complexity for which Montepulciano is famous.

Technical notes

(100% Montepulciano Africa clone). The grapes were hand-harvested, sorted, destemmed and crushed into vertical, stainless steel fermentors. Total maceration time was 35 days. Matured for 15 months in new (50%) and second fill French oak barriques. After a strict selection process, wines from the best barrels were fined using egg whites prior to blending. After aging for 24 months in tank the wine was bottled without filtration.

Producer

Fattoria La Valentina, founded in 1990 by Sabatino Di Properzio, is located in Spoltore on the central Adriatic coast. In recent years several artisan producers have arrived on the scene and are turning out top quality wines from Abruzzo’s indigenous Montepulciano and Trebbiano varietals. La Valentina is at the forefront of this movement. Following initial and extensive viticultural research, Di Properzio began promoting Abruzzese DOCs of the highest quality. Two major developments in 1998 supported this goal – initiating the Binomio project with Stefano Inama and hiring Luca D’Attoma as winemaker. While taking a very traditional approach to farming and employing organic and biodynamic farming methods, Di Properzio also uses current technology, ensuring the fruit’s integrity from grape to glass. The soil is made up of clays, clay-calcareous marls, usually loose and medium-grade sandstone. The Spoltore hillside vineyard, near the Adriatic Sea, is southsouthwest facing – 5 acres of Trebbiano and 12½ of Montepulciano vines were planted 27 years ago and Spelt and Bellovedere are produced from this vineyard. The 10 acre Binomio vineyard, planted entirely with Montepulciano, is located in Abruzzo Citeriore at 1,640 ft. above sea level. The unique features of the region’s microclimate, combined with vines well-suited to the land, give the wines their distinctive qualities.