"Valentini is one of Italy’s most iconic producers" - Antonio Galloni
2000 Valentini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Only Bottles in U.S.
Valentini is an estate shrouded in mystery. One thing is clear, though; the estate is able to transform ho-hum grapes, like Montepulciano and Trebbiano, into profound, cult wines.
For rarity, for complexity, for ageworthiness Valentini's Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the most sought after wine of Valentini's line-up.
If you search all vintages in the U.S., you come up with a total of only ten listings and all but two are the current vintage. Old vintages of Valentini's Montepulciano are almost impossible to find.
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Which is a shame. Valentini's Montepulcianos need, above all else, some bottle age for their full elegance and for their mind-bending complexity to begin to shine. These are wines that age for decades upon decades.
Today, we're happy to offer a small parcel of the only bottles in the U.S. of Valentini's 2000 Montepulciano. Valentini's 2000 is just entering a truly flattering stage. Aged Valentini is incredibly rare and our parcel is small, which means that this parcel is only offered to people who've supported our Italian program.
Outside of Valentini's (and Emidio Pepe's) Montepulciano, the grape's other claim to fame is filling carafes with nondescript quaffers found in red-sauce joints all over the U.S.
In Valentini's hands, Montepulciano becomes decidedly noble, soaring and vivid. It's wild and gamey, spicy and dark-fruited, yet with beautiful clarity, balance, structure... and, most uniquely for Abruzzo and Montepulciano, PRECISION.
It's easy to get a sense of why there's so much fuss over the wine. There's really nothing quite like it in the wine world.
If we were to grasp for worthwhile comparisons, the first stop would be the traditionalists of the Northern Rhone. Fans of Chave, Allemand, Clape, Verset, etc. will find a kinship in Valentini's Montepulciano.
And much to admire. At the end, though, Valentini's Montepulciano really stands alone, a tribute to the late Edoardo Valentini's unrelenting pursuit of quality and his shy, eccentric personality. (His son Francesco has taken over, continuing a legacy since Edoardo passed away in 2006.)
Valentini's Montepulciano is one of the most fascinating and compelling wines in all of Italy. As we mentioned earlier, this is a small parcel - allocations seem inevitable. Please give us your ideal order and we'll try our best.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits