La Tenuta Bocca di Lupo is located at an elevation of 250 meters above sea level in the heart of the rugged Murgia area near Minervino Murge about 90 kilometers west of Bari, Puglia in southeastern Italia. All of the estate’s vineyards are certified organic and are located on highly calcareous, low‑nutrient soils that are excellent for producing the finest quality red wines (and also superb white wines). Beyond Aglianico, the main grape varieties grown here are Chardonnay, Fiano, Nero di Troia, Cabernet‑Sauvignon, Cabernet‑Franc and Moscato‑di‑Trani. Bocca di Lupo is, according to the Antinori family, the spark that lit Tormaresca’s enological dream — the desire to rediscover the noble and austere Aglianico grape variety by offering an alternative yet authentic interpretation has guided this project for the past number of years. Fully mature vines allow for concentrated grapes perfect for producing wines with great aging potential. Deep, deep, almost opaque ruby in color (perhaps showing a certain reticence today by comparison with a bottle opened a week prior, but the qualities are the same if somewhat muted on this fine root day of Tuesday the 23rd of June, 2026); baking spices, dark berry fruits and that telltale signature of what the Italians refer to as 'balsamic notes' or a kind of miscela of dried herbs (both John and Henry here have long since landed on a descriptor a kind of teaberry/wintergreen quality, and a marker of the very finest wines both red and white); plush, savory, full and potent on the tongue with ample grip of significant but finely managed tannins; big and burly, for sure, but with a freshness that belies the warmth of the growing area and flavors that well reprise that fine aromatic slate; in our humble estimation, this is Italian red wine at its very finest.

Produce of 100% Primitivo fruit planted to soils of clay over a hard limestone base in Salento, Puglia in far southern Italia (it is written that Primitivo and Zinfandel, also known as Tribidrag in Croatia, are identical); a kind of resinous (Italians might say 'balsamic notes') singed berry fruit quality on the nose that is just intriguing to this taster (the importer notes ripe cherry, soil, myrtle berries, spices, and almond); slips onto the palate with a gentle plump berryish quality, then resinous on the tongue, too, dusty dry with that uniquely Italian and oh so tantalizing astringency that makes one crave a nice plate of pasta; oh, and the value is unmistakable.

La Valentina is a leading example of the modern renaissance of winemaking in Abruzzo. The region has a history as a source of inexpensive bulk wine production, but a new generation of winemakers have dedicated themselves to harnessing the excellent terroir to produce high quality rather than high quantity — and La Valentina is at the forefront of this movement. The di Properzio brothers, proprietors of La Valentina, remain true to the traditional varieties associated with Abruzzo: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, along with a time‑honored but almost forgotten variety, Pecorino. The shift in focus is not in the grapes but in the way they are grown and vinified. La Valentina has acquired several vineyard sites that are located at higher elevations in the foothills of the Apennines, near a national park in pristine condition. In all of their vineyards, La Valentina have made a strong commitment to sustainability, avoiding the use of artificial or chemical products, ensuring maximum biodiversity and relying on minimal intervention in the land’s natural processes. To this end, all of the estate vineyards have been certified organic since 2016. The name of the Pecorino grape is derived from Uve delle Pecora, a reference to the sheepherders who ate the grapes while accompanying their flocks across the hills and valleys of Abruzzo and the Marche. The wine is produced from 100% Pecorino fruit from vines planted to the clay soils of the communes of San Valentino, Scafa, and Spoltore in the province of Pescara, some 150 to 350 meters in elevation. Pale yellow/gold in color with initially reticent, eventually enticing aromas suggestive of stone fruits and salt sea air; silken smooth, tactile and viscous onto the tongue with a wellspring of energy, engaging the palate with a fresh saline minerality and hyper‑refreshingness.