Gianni Masciarelli and his wife Marina Cvetic are among the shining beacons of Abruzzo. For years, this beautiful land, with its abundance of sun, great soil and the easy-to-grow Montepulciano grape, had wallowed in mediocrity as scores of producers were clearly taking advantage of what was given to them. Gianni, along with his inspiration, the reclusive genius Edoardo Valentini, proved to the rest of the world, through hard work, low yields, and a desire to be the best, that Abruzzo and the Montepulciano grape could produce world-class wines.
Sadly, Gianni passed away in August 2008 aged 53, he is survived by his wife and his three young children.
Amongst the lengthy list of accolades won by Masciarelli, the most significant was probably the 2004 Gambero Rosso “Producer of the Year” award.
"Pale, water-white in colour. Clean, mineral, stony on the nose, with a twist of fresh aniseed/fennel. On swirling the glass, there is a lifted suggestion of orange zest and apricot. On the palate, the flavours reflects those aromas found on the nose and the combination of orange oil, fennel and mineral just cry out for tasting with an oily fish like mackerel. Dry, crisp, mineral acidity and long length on the finish. Very good, and something a bit different. Claire O’Boyle
"The passing of Gianni Masciarelli in 2008 left a huge void in the world of Italian wine. To be honest, I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Masciarelli’s wines but his contributions to the oenological landscape in Abruzzo are irrefutable. Most importantly of all, he aimed for, and often achieved, a level of quality that inspired other producers to follow suit." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
