Praesidium Bianco Terre Aquilane 'Luci' 2020

One of Abruzzo's very best artisan producers, the wines of Praesidium are among the most soulful, complex and satisfying in the region. They are made by the Pasquale family, who farm seven hectares of land organically in the secluded Peligna Valley. Their cellars are hand-cut into the rock, and the winemaking is appropriately traditional - wild yeast fermentations, extended ageing and no fining or filtration coupled with top quality fruit. When they are eventually released, the Praesidium wines all have depth, power and a mineral streak that mark them out as very special. They are treasures no lover of traditional Italian wine should miss.

Luci is a 100% Trebbiano produced in tiny quantities from a 0.7 hectare vineyard. Raised in tank for an extended period, it is astonishingly complex, with a deep golden colour, flavours of marzipan, orange and apple and a richness beautifully offset by a long, dry finish. A sublime wine that simply must be tasted.

Dusty and floral in the glass, the 2020 Bianco Luci wafts up with a pretty blend of white flowers, incense, raw almond and crushed yellow apples. This opens with an inner sweetness as a perfumed blend of ripe stone fruits and candied citrus soothe the senses. It finishes honeyed and incredibly long with a residual bump of acidity that maintains a lovely freshness. This is a total pleasure.

92 points

Eric Guido, Vinous, August 2023