LLS Portfolio Book 2015

Valle Reale

Valle Reale was founded in 2000 with the goal of producing world-class wines. The Pizzolo family, in close consultation with Professor Leonardo Valenti and the agronomic faculty of the University of Milan, are working to develop a model for central Italian wines and winemaking. Working primarily with the Montepulciano varietal, they aim to create wines that highlight the grape’s intrinsic qualities: strength, exuberance, vitality, color, elegance, balance and depth. The process begins with the careful selection of clones that are best suited to Valle Reale’s soil and climate, and therefore best express the distinct characteristics of the varietal. Their success is evident in the young, vibrant DOC base wine, and even more so in the cru, a new benchmark for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

Cerasuolo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Organic Grapes Made from 100% Montepulciano grapes, Valle Reale’s Cerasuolo, which translates as “cherry-red,” is a deeply colored rosé produced by a short maceration before separating the juice from the skins. Cool summer nights, windswept days, and thin, stony soils characterize the section of vineyard from which the fruit for this wine is sourced. Spontaneous fermentation initiated and carried out by indigenous yeasts add further to the complex aromas and flavors of this wine.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Organic Grapes The organic Montepulciano grapes that produce this wine are sourced from two separate vineyards: Popoli and Capestrano. Capestrano’s soaring summer temperatures and silty soils yield richness and structure. The rocky and exposed terrain of Popoli bestows fragrance and freshness. Spontaneous fermentation binds the raw materials into a sum that is greater than its individual parts-- a wine that is both rich and elegant, and that speaks clearly of its terroir.

San Calisto Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC San Calisto is Valle Reale’s flagship wine. This muscular, yet refined, red is made from 100% Montepulciano grown in the San Calisto parcel, the oldest plot in the Valle Reale estate. This special vineyard is located in one of Italy’s most beautiful national parks, surrounded by the majestic Gran Sasso mountain range. Here, the vines benefit from the high elevation, a wide diurnal temperature range, lots of cool breezes, and limestone-rich soils.

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WINES OF CENTRAL ITALY