Filomusi

The estate is right below the mountains of the Majella (the second highest massif of the Appennines and a national park), in Tocco di Casauria (province of Pescara). The Filomusi family moved here from Pesaro in the 1500s and became related to the Guelfi family, that moved to Abruzzo from Arezzo. In this way the two families not only merged their name, but also their properties which already included the ten hectares that are still grown with vineyards today. Wine has always been made since those early days. Lorenzo, the present owner, inherits the estate in 1983. His wine production starts as a personal bet in 1987. His first wines, the 1987 vintage of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and the 1988 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Cerasuolo (a traditional rosè wine), were bottled in 1990. Lorenzo realises that wine production not only represents the past history of his family, but also its future history. Tocco di Casauria can be considered the “cradle” of the Montepulciano grape variety: this is also confirmed by documents belonging to the Guelfi family, and dated 1821, that state the production and marketing of Montepulciano grapes (Lorenzo still has these documents). The conditions for viticulture in this area are unique. It is a very airy and dry zone. The phenolic and sugar ripening of the grapes is optimal together with an excellent acidity due to the extremely wide temperature range between night and day. The grape varieties are mainly Montepulciano (7.25 hectares) and the rest are Chardonnay, Pecorino, Cococciola (a white indigenous variety), Chardonnay, Malvasia Toscana and Sauvignon Blanc. The wines produced are: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva DOC, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC “Fonte Dei” (single vineyard), Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Superiore DOC and two proprietary/IGT white wines. The total average production is 30,000 bottles/year. Lorenzo Filomusi is supported by his son Alessandro and by the oenologist/ agronomist Lorenzo Costantini.