2013 Azienda Agricola Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo- Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (8/4/2022)
Can’t believe it’s been 3 years already since my last go with this one? Heard rumors of it’s demise…but hell no…juice is still rockin! Love the brilliantly shiny, rustically cloudy, shimmering gold and green tinge color…slight reduction(or sulfur embalming ) at first, but air releases the perfect ripened orchard and tropical fruits…creamy with a slight bite to it…plenty zippy lemon and grapefruit squeeze sours refreshens…SO exotic and quite unique with lime blossoms, peach tea, Chenin woolliness, pickling spice, grilled pineapple sprinkled with some fresh cut herbs…salivating acidity, yet saline with crushed rocks and smoky minerals…has that waxiness ala Raveneau that I just adore…really seems to be holding it’s own with age…maybe some dried honey notes showing now, and not any youthful spritz like before…showing tremendous integration and intriguing complexity…a World class drink of white wine here! (96 pts.)
Sounds awesome. I’m on the '15 Pepe Trebbiano tonight, so I’m in the neighborhood. I don’t go back to 13 of Valentini, but I do have some 14 and 15. Singular wines. You captured it well here. Cheers.
Excellent description, thank you for sharing.
I’ve had only more recent vintages, what do you think of the optimal drinking period?
It really is a very complex wine with a great variety of aromatic clusters in perfect balance. Interesting you mentioned Chenin, to me its feel and texture is not too different from Coulee de Serrant… frankly I could copy and paste your note for a 2018 CdS (including the rumours of its demise)!
Nice note Buzz! Valentini has some of the best wines on this planet, just awesome. The 2013 Trebbiano was part of a rock star tasting along with other icons from Pepe and Torre Dei Beati.
I pulled out a bottle of the 2012 while on vacation last weekend and my goodness this wine is something special. All 3 2012s I’ve enjoyed have this prickly CO2 characteristic(it’s not acidity) that puts this wine over the top.
I think the 2012s have another decade easy. Unfortunately these are quite tough to find in Massachusetts. They were imported by Rosenthal at one point. Not sure who’s bringing in now if at all.
Ugh – this thread brings back terrible memories. I poured 4 consecutive bottles of this down the drain a few months ago. Never done that before (or after). My guess is heat damage en route to the U.S., as they were all perfectly stored here. Just a major disappointment, as I LOVE the Valentini Trebbiano.
Great to hear that the 2012 is stellar as I have one single bottle and I’ve been saving it for when I felt ready to roll the dice again…
I recently tried awfully hard to have a nice Trebbiano with some friends, but '15 Pepe was corked and a subsequent '15 Valentini was, too. The Pepe was super obvious, and the Valentini was slight. Was not happy.
Sounds like me with Pepe Trebbiano! Three bottles of 2016, and a mag of 15…total ox juice and down the drain. I still have not had a “correct” Pepe Treb yet.
Btw…for anyone…how are the Valentini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo? Absolutely adore Pepe there…been meaning to look for some from Valentini.
Valentini’s Trebbiano is a bit more vibrant and “clean” than Pepe’s, likely from their picking earlier (which has also been criticized by some people).
Both are exceptional and worth having if you can find-afford them. I have been lucky to not have any corked or “off” bottles from either producer.
Agree with Tom here.
Though, I think Valentini tends to just have a little more of that next gear, layers/complexity. And seem to age more slowly. Rally like both, but Valentini, thus far, hits higher heights for me.
) at first, but air releases the perfect ripened orchard and tropical fruits…creamy with a slight bite to it…plenty zippy lemon and grapefruit squeeze sours refreshens…SO exotic and quite unique with lime blossoms, peach tea, Chenin woolliness, pickling spice, grilled pineapple sprinkled with some fresh cut herbs…salivating acidity, yet saline with crushed rocks and smoky minerals…has that waxiness ala Raveneau that I just adore…really seems to be holding it’s own with age…maybe some dried honey notes showing now, and not any youthful spritz like before…showing tremendous integration and intriguing complexity…a World class drink of white wine here! (96 pts.)
(my bottles)for me. How is it?
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