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Tomorrow's Wine
$36.99
Country: Italy
Region: Abruzzo
Type: Red
Grape: Montepulciano
De Fermo is a relatively new estate founded in 2010 by Stefano Papetti Ceroni and his wife Eloisa de Fermo, Originally from Bologna, Stefano took an interest in wine at a young age. While studying law in Bologna, he met Eloisa. In 2007, seven years after the couple met, Eloisa proposed they visit her family farm in Abruzzo; it had been in the de Fermo family for generations, but she had no real connection to it. Not expecting much, Stefano was shocked to discover a sprawling, ancient property with a rich history of viticulture dating back to the 9th Century. Stefano fell hard for the De Fermo farm. In the winter of 2007, he began spending every weekend in Abruzzo, learning from the contadini hired by Eloisa's family to run the property.
In 2009, Stefano discovered an underground cantina in the basement and, following a restoration, a winery was born. By 2013 Stefano was managing all 16 hectares of vines, keeping the best grapes for the De Fermo estate and selling off the rest. Today, all of the grapes go into the estate's production.
The terroirs here are considered amongst the best in the region. While the vast majority of vines in Abruzzo are trained in Pergola, the contadini who managed the farm prior to Stefano had meticulously maintained the vineyards' difficult training systems of Cordon de Royat and Alberello. As a result, yields are often 50% lower than their neighbors. The concentration in the wines is evident and a big part of what sets them apart. In keeping with their dedicated approach to biodynamic farming and biodversity, Stefano and Eloisa work with other crops and animals along with tending the vines.
This 100% Montepulciano is classified as a rosato but we think it falls somewhere between a dark rosato and a light red. Aged in concrete, it is elegant, with bite and texture. Chewy, with savory herbal notes, and hints of tart cherry and red fruit. Drink chilled.
