⏱ 2 min read
The Short Version
By trading a legal career for biodynamic viticulture, Iole Rabasco uses 120 glass demijohns to craft zero-sulfite wines with remarkable structure. Her approach avoids natural wine chaos, instead delivering textured, skin-contact expressions that capture the pure, unadulterated essence of Abruzzo.
In This Article
Iole Rabasco traded a legal career for organic viticulture in the early 2000s, taking over her family’s 11-hectare estate in Pianella. Today, she produces zero-sulfite wines from vineyards that are more than 40 years old, relying on biodynamic principles established in 2006. Her approach is defined by a refusal to use conventional farming methods, resulting in what many describe as pure expression of the Pescara terroir.
It is textured and detailed with nice weight, showing apples, pears, peach, and even a touch of mint.
The art of the demijohn
A distinctive hallmark of the Rabasco portfolio is the extensive use of demijohns for aging, an approach signaled by “Damigiana” on the labels. With 120 of these vessels at her disposal, Rabasco utilizes them to develop specific textures and nuances without heavy intervention. At the VinNatur tasting in Paris in November 2025, this method was clearly evident in several standout bottles. The Damigiana 2024 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, blended with 30% Malvasia Candida, underwent five days on skins before resting in glass. It is textured and detailed with nice weight, showing apples, pears, peach, and even a touch of mint. Similarly, the 2020 Rosso Damigiana Montepulciano d’Abruzzo spent nine days on skins, delivering a substantial, expansive profile with firm tannins and bright red cherry fruit.
Precision in simplicity
While some natural wines lean into chaos, Rabasco’s work maintains a striking sense of structure and clarity. Her white wines demonstrate this through careful fermentation and pressing techniques. The Cancelli Branco 2024, a direct-pressed Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, offers a pithy, lemony concentration with fine acidity, while the La Salita 2024 showcases depth through notes of orange peel and dried herbs. Even her reds maintain a certain vibrancy; the Cancelli Rosso 2024 utilizes just 1.5 days on skins to produce a supple, juicy Montepulciano characterized by fresh redcurrant and sour cherry.
The estate’s aesthetic mirrors its winemaking: hand-drawn, retro labels that feel as intentional as the liquid inside. Whether it is the citrus brightness of the Cerusualo-based Damigiana Rosato or the oxidative finesse of her aged whites, the focus remains on unadulterated expression. By marrying old vines with ancient vessel shapes like the demijohn, Rabasco ensures her wines are neither over-manipulated nor lacking in personality.
Which do you prefer in a natural wine: the clean precision of stainless steel or the textured complexity of glass aging?
Questions & Answers
What is the significance of the term Damigiana on Rabasco wine labels?
The term Damigiana indicates that the wine has been aged in demijohns to develop specific textures and nuances. Iole Rabasco utilizes 120 of these glass vessels to age her wines without heavy intervention or manipulation. This traditional method is evident in bottles like the 2024 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, which rests in glass to achieve a textured and detailed profile featuring notes of apple, pear, and peach.
How does Iole Rabasco approach viticulture and wine production?
Iole Rabasco utilizes biodynamic principles and organic viticulture to produce zero-sulfite wines. She manages an 11-hectare estate in Pianella using vineyards that are more than 40 years old. By refusing to use conventional farming methods, she focuses on creating a pure expression of the Pescara terroir. Her process emphasizes precision and simplicity, ensuring her wines maintain structure and clarity rather than leaning into the chaos sometimes found in natural wines.
What flavor profiles can be expected from Rabasco's red wines?
Rabasco's red wines are characterized by vibrant fruit profiles and varying levels of skin contact. The 2020 Rosso Damigiana Montepulciano d’Abruzzo offers a substantial and expansive profile with firm tannins and bright red cherry fruit after nine days on skins. In contrast, the Cancelli Rosso 2024 undergoes only 1.5 days of skin contact, resulting in a more supple and juicy Montepulciano defined by fresh redcurrant and sour cherry notes.
Why does Iole Rabasco use old vines for her wine production?
Iole Rabasco uses vines that are more than 40 years old to ensure her wines offer an unadulterated expression of the land. By marrying these established vineyards with ancient vessel shapes like the demijohn, she produces wines that are neither over-manipulated nor lacking in personality. This combination of aged vines and traditional aging techniques allows her to achieve a striking sense of structure and depth in her various white, red, and rosé offerings.
Originally reported by Wine Anorak.
