2024 Cirelli Trebbiano D'Abruzzo

REGION

Abruzzo, Italy. A region known for churning out impressive quantities of functional wine. But down in the hills of Atri, near the Adriatic, Francesco Cirelli is proving that the often underestimated Trebbiano grape can actually deliver something distinctly genuine.

VARIETAL

Trebbiano, the inescapable white grape of Italy. Here, it is given the admiration and time it deserves, resulting in a clean and focused expression. Not thin, not watery, and certainly not boring. This is an herbaceous, satisfying, coastal Italian white.

NOSE

All treat, some trick. It starts with bright, friendly aromas of melon, nectarine, and apple. Almost simultaneously the complexity

arrives with a dose of Mediterranean scrub, think camomile,

dried sage, and bay leaf.

PALATE

Stimulating, savory, and structured. It is crisp, light-bodied, and carries a vibrant acidity that cuts through the fruit flavors of lemon zest and white peach. What keeps you coming back is the delicate herbs and a clear minerality on the finish. It's an elegant, everyday white that over-delivers.

WINEMAKING NOTES

Francesco Cirelli believes in minimal intervention, organic farming, and getting out of the grapes way. His top wines go into terracotta amphorae, but even this standard bottling benefits from his ethos. It's made with spontaneous fermentation and aged on the fine lees in stainless steel. It's a statement in itself, great Trebbiano needs nothing more than great farming.

ABRUZZO MEANS

The name is thought to derive from the Latin word Aprutium, and while the exact meaning is debated, one theory links it to the verb aperio, meaning "to open" or "to uncover." Fitting for a wine that uncovers the true potential of a seemingly common grape.