Le
Terrazze
The Terni family staked its name on the
quality of their wines over a century ago, when they established
this estate on 150 hectares of land near the small fishing
town of Numana, on hills overlooking the sea. Here the vineyard
is situated in the ideal microclimate for growing grapes.
In the summer months the vines are fanned by the evening
breezes from the Adriatic while the winter bite is contained
by the slopes of Monte Conero, which shelters the area from
the icy, northern winds. It is in this area that the premium
red of Le Marche, Rosso Conero, is at its best.
Le Terrazze is currently run by Antonio
Terni, grandson of the man who first planted it in 1882.
Far from being a typical Italian winemaker, he is an Argentinian-born
Jew who worked as a nuclear engineer before deciding to
take over the family wine business. In the early eighties,
Antonio took Le Terrazze in a new direction by completely
renovating the property and hiring the likes of Attilio
Pagli and Leonardo Valenti. Together they experimented with
blends that included noble varietals such as Merlot and
Syrah. In combination with Terni's signature dense Montepulciano,
the team is able to produce some of Le Marche's most sought
IGT wines. In the meantime, Terni is also pushing for a
DOCG designation for the Conero zone that would limit blending
with Sangiovese.
Terni is Le Marche's most celebrated producer
of quality Italian red wine, most notably the classic Montepulciano-based
Rosso Conero and the super-Marchigiano blend of Montepulciano/Merlot/Syrah
labelled "Chaos" (an IWM favorite). Consistently
breaking new ground, Antonio looked to create a spiritual
wine that paid homage to his childhood hero. In 1997, Terni
released the vintage driven Rosso Conero "Visions of
J.," titled after the Bob Dylan song. The wine went
on to win critical acclaim, capturing the coveted Tre Bicchieri
award and attracting the legendary songwriter after Terni
sent a few bottles backstage at a European concert. One
taste and Dylan requested to be part of Terni's next effort,
"Planet Waves." The name is taken from Bob Dylan’s
1974 album of the same title. The maverick winemaker does
not compromise quality for celebrity status; Terni creates
the wine and Dylan endorses it. The limited production of
high quality fruit yielded just over 400 cases of this new
wine, a testament to Terni's commitment to quality.
To understand these wines, it is important
to understand Antonio Terni's commitment to quality. The
dynamic producer has brought much acclaim to the historically
underrated reds of Le Marche with the production of his
reserve Rosso Conero and powerhouse blends. This can be
attributed to more than a century of Terni winemaking and
a dedication to cultivating the Montepulciano grape (not
to be confused with the noted Tuscan wine area). The grape
was, in fact, borrowed from the neighboring Abruzzo; however,
it is in Le Marche, under the guidance of Terni, that it
reaches its full expression.
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