Fattoria dell’Orso

“Let's meet up in Abruzzo!"

Thus begins my journey. Always up for new experiences and destinations, I enthusiastically accept my sommelier friend, Irene de Feo’s invitation and, in the blink of an eye, my bag packed, I am ready to set off into the wide blue yonder: this time, here in Italy. Well aware of our country's potential for hidden, uncharted locations and unknown wine excellences, I board my jeep, brimming with confident curiosity, and set off along the Adriatic coast. A few hours later, there it is: Abruzzo, one of Italy's most mysterious and off-the-beaten-track regions, with its unspoilt landscapes and spectacular views.

Ten minutes from Atri, I turn onto a dirt track which, winding its way amidst scrubland and gullies, leads me towards a hidden world, lying between the Adriatic coast and the Gran Sasso massif.

It is here that Fattoria Dell'Orso makes its home, amidst the sun-kissed vineyards and cool breezes descending from the mountains. And this is where Irene greets me, with that contagious euphoria and vitality that is her unmistakable zest for life. Full of passion in all her endeavours, she has a boundless desire to explore the world and to seize every opportunity that comes her way.

They’re waiting for us; the coffee pot is already on the stove. - Irene tells me, while I am already thinking about Montepulciano 2019. But all things in due time.

Cesare Dell'Orso, from whom the farm takes its name, receives us at the door with a warm and welcoming smile. 

What looks like a run-of-the-mill country cottage on the outside, reveals a warm, simple domesticity within, reflecting a practical approach to life. 

Sitting at the head of the table is 'the wine artist' Walter De Battè. 

We had met him some months earlier in Liguria during our visit to Cian du Giorgi: it was love at first sight for this alchemist of wine.

He refers to them as 'experiments' because for six years Walter and Cesare have been studying, testing, innovating and evolving in order to get the best from this land. The smiles on their faces when I ask if their labours have borne fruit is unmistakable.

The Montepulciano has been fine-tuned. We only use stainless steel barrels, but with a long maceration. I don’t like things too soft and a little grip never goes amiss. Walter’s tone when speaking with us is that of a history of literature professor who wants to enthuse you with an epic tale. Indeed, we hang on his every word until Caesar rouses us and invites us to visit the vineyards.

This vineyard wasn’t born from passion, but from pure folly. – recounts Cesare as we climb the escarpment to reach the summit. You have to be crazy to embark on such an undertaking. Prior to this, I had worked in air transport for 40 years, with no experience whatsoever of vineyards, so you only can imagine how many mistakes I made in the beginning.

This madcap escapade all began in 1997, when Cesare, who hails from Val Pescara some 40 km away, came here quite by chance. On getting out of his car, he fell instantly and irredeemably in love with what he saw before him. Now, with the valley unfolding at our feet and the Gran Sasso massif rising magnificently before us, we too feel that self-same tug at our heartstrings. 

We move into the cellar, which is literally an old storage shed. Inside, an extraordinary sight meets our eyes. Two long wooden tables side by side, a few wooden crates used as chairs, glasses of different shapes and sizes, steel tanks surrounding us amidst old presses, all rounded off with a dusty old Ford school bus from the 1970s acting as a backdrop. I adore this place!

The atmosphere of this tasting, between wine and roasted meats, is imbued with a warmth and conviviality that words struggle to fully convey. Cesare and Walter welcome us with sincere hospitality, while their laughter provides the background to stories and anecdotes.

We begin our tasting with Passerina 2022. In order to obtain a full-bodied wine, this white undergoes an extremely brief maceration. This is then followed by a year in the bottle, where numerous aromas are formed, proof of its continuous evolution. With an alcohol content of around 14 percent, this is anything but a traditional wine. Caesar tells us that time is what counts with this wine. It is strongly reminiscent of when you bite into a freshly picked quince from the tree, of your grandmother's peaches in syrup. It is a very different Passerina from what you would expect. This is a wine with an intense, enveloping bouquet. In the mouth, it reveals a pleasant freshness, with a medium body and a slight creaminess that lends it an alluring, silky consistency. Remarkably zesty, it has an extremely interesting and clean finish.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, Walter De Battè's famous Montepulciano 2019, which he describes as follows: It is like a block of marble worked upon by Michelangelo. Little by little it gradually reveals its silhouette, a form which only time will unveil in its entirety. It undergoes 60 days of maceration, with 3 years on the lees in stainless steel and 5 months in the bottle. Despite the high alcohol content, this is a fresh red of truly remarkable elegance. As we taste it, Walter continues: Montepulciano truly is a monumental wine. It seems to spring from the bowels of the very earth.

A remarkably clean wine, it has a smoky note belying the absence of wood, but which is conferred by its three years on the lees. Tasting it, most people think of a French wine. Such a fresh wine at 15 percent is beguiling indeed and it is like oxygen for my olfactory memory. As Walter smilingly confirms: this is the Proustian approach to wine.

The smell of charcoal embers hangs in the air and grilled meats continue to fill the table while Irene, who although she has tasted these wines before, continues to share her amazement at how they have evolved.

Nourishing the senses and enriching the soul with unique flavours and aromas, the emotional experience at Fattoria Dell'Orso is truly profound. Partaking in an Abruzzo wine tasting really does mean embarking on a journey rooted in the history of people and places.

Cesare's words epitomise both his own philosophy and that of his wines: Sometimes there is more to a bottle than a kilo of grapes. There is something in that bottle that evokes its maker, their character, their dreams and their experience. There is a social commitment. There is a legacy for future generations. All this can be in a glass of wine.

And I would like to stay here forever. 

With Cesare, who seems almost unaware of the greatness of his wines and the importance of his winery, hidden away in the heart of Abruzzo like a bear hibernating in its den. And with Walter, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he is one of the most important personalities on the international wine scene. A poet of wine whose elegance, like the most memorable labels, we will always remember fondly. Vividly and with immense gratitude for all the glasses and emotions we have shared.