100% Montepulciano from 25 hectares (just under 62 acres) under vine in Colonnella, Ancorano and Controguerra. De-stalking and soft pressing is followed by maceration and fermentation on the skins for 20 days, then malolactic fermentation in barriques, where the wine matures for 6 months.

The name Farnese is one of Italy’s most illustrious. In Renaissance times, this noble family’s wines made scintillating appearances on the banquet tables of numerous European courts thanks to princess Marguerite of Austria, daughter of an Emperor, wife to Prince Octavio Farnese. Marguerite lived an adventurous and fascinating life that took her over half of Europe. When she retired, in 1585, she chose the Palazzo Farnese at Ortona (built in 1538) as her last home, providing the viticultural activities of this ancient wine country with vital impetus and scope. Over four centuries later, the Farnese wines – albeit encompassing an ample range of terroirs and microclimates throughout Abruzzi, instrumental in achieving complexity and consistency – are crafted in the heart of the Colline Teramane DOCG appellation, at titanic, ultramodern facilities covering 50,000 square meters (13,000 of which the winery proper). These were entirely refurbished in 2004 and now include state-of-the-art equipment and vinification lines as well as over 1,000 barriques of the finest French and American oak, employed for a maximum of 3 years, and 50 Slavonian oak barrels of 25 or 50 hectoliters’ capacity.

Joint owners Valentino Sciotti and Camillo De Iuliis capsulize Farnese philosophy in two words: Progetto Qualita. Progetto Qualita Farnese is a stringent series of quality criteria providing the framework of every single stage in the process from vineyard to bottle; no one on the Farnese team, no matter how small his role in the total picture, can stray from these demanding standards. The team itself comprises a large group of young, dynamic wine professionals.

As Valentino explains, “the latest harvest alone saw us employ 6 highly experienced oenologists, all with a very solid reputation, 4 of whom had worked for some of the top wineries in France and southern Italy.” This half a dozen winemakers are led by Filippo Baccalaro and technical consultant Professor Mario Ercolino – not to mention top-notch agronomists like Remo di Giuliantonio.