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Abbia Nova

Cesanese del Piglio 2020

Price: $28.95
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Tasting notes

Cesanese d'Affile is one of Italy's most obscure indigenous reds, and Abbia Nova's version from old-vine parcels in Piglio shows the grape at its most honest: bright acidity, cherry-driven fruit, a savory herbal edge, and a slightly bitter finish that pulls you back for another sip. The use of amphora aging keeps the wine taut and mineral rather than soft or extracted.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
CherryVioletEarthLicorice
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; ruby with purple hints; bright acidity; earthy, floral, and spiced cherry character
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Cesanese d'Affile; organic and biodynamic; iron-rich red clay, sandstone, volcanic and calcareous soils; Piglio, Frosinone, Lazio
  • Winemaking: Hand-harvested; destemmed; indigenous yeast fermentation; aged in amphora and demijohns; no fining, no filtration; minimal added sulfites
  • Serving: Serve at 60-64F; 20-30 min decant recommended
  • Pairing: Bucatini all'amatriciana, braised lamb, aged pecorino, cured pork, bitter greens
  • Similar To: For fans of Gamay and Trousseau who want a savory, high-acid Italian red from an obscure indigenous grape

Abbia Nova is the project of cousins Daniele and Pierluca Proietti, based in Piglio, roughly 30 miles east of Rome in the Frosinone province of Lazio. Their 7 hectares are divided across multiple small parcels on the key cru sites of the Cesanese del Piglio DOCG, with vineyards ranging from 15 to 90 years old. The estate also tends 1,000 indigenous olive trees, walnuts, and medicinal herbs alongside the vines.

This wine is made from 100% Cesanese d'Affile, the more structured and smaller-berried of the two Cesanese clones permitted in the DOCG. Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Aging takes place in amphora and demijohns. No fining, no filtration, and minimal added sulfites.

The Proiettis moved toward organic farming in the 1980s and have since incorporated biodynamic principles, Masanobu Fukuoka's natural farming methods, and homeopathic treatments. They have largely replaced conventional sulfur and copper treatments with natural resistance methods they produce themselves. The cellar is a small country house on the ancient Roman consular road, equipped with amphoras, concrete tanks, barrels, and glass demijohns.

Cesanese del Piglio DOCG earned its status in 2008, becoming the first and only red wine DOCG in Lazio. The appellation spans five municipalities on the slopes of the Monti Ernici, with soils of iron-rich red clay, sandstone, volcanic material, and calcareous subsoil. Vineyards sit at elevations between 200 and 600 meters above sea level, and significant diurnal temperature variation preserves acidity while allowing full phenolic ripeness.

Cesanese's firm acidity and earthy spice make it a natural with Roman-style preparations: bucatini all'amatriciana, braised lamb, or slow-cooked oxtail. It also works well alongside cured meats like guanciale or aged salumi. The slightly bitter finish holds up to bitter greens, grilled sausages, and aged sheep's milk cheese.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Cesanese d'Affile
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2020
Alcohol:, 13.5%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Lazio
Appellation:, Cesanese del Piglio DOCG
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


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If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


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Placed an order. What next?

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2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Abbia Nova

Cousins Daniele and Pierluca Proietti are from Piglio and operate Abbia Nova across 7 hectares of vineyards divided into many small parcels on the principal cru sites of the Cesanese del Piglio DOCG. The vineyards range from 15 to 90 years of age and were largely inherited from their families, though some plots were acquired over time. The name Abbia Nova references an ancient Roman road that once linked Piglio with Abruzzo. Some of their parcels contain archaeological remains from the villas of emperors Nerva and Trajan, evidence of the area's unbroken agricultural history.

The family transitioned to organic farming in the 1980s. Daniele and Pierluca subsequently incorporated biodynamic practices, Masanobu Fukuoka's natural farming philosophy, and homeopathic agricultural treatments. In place of conventional sulfur and copper sprays, they use natural resistance methods they formulate themselves. Beyond Cesanese d'Affile, the estate grows other indigenous varieties including Passerina, Bellone, Ottonese, Nostrano, and Fosco Peloso, as well as 1,000 indigenous olive trees, walnuts, and medicinal herbs.

The cellar is a small two-room country house situated on the ancient Roman consular road, equipped with amphoras, concrete tanks, neutral oak barrels, and glass demijohns. Wines are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Macerations vary by wine and parcel, ranging from short carbonic-style ferments to extended skin contact over several weeks. No fining or filtration is applied, and added sulfites are kept at minimal levels across the range.

Wine region

Lazio, Italy

Cesanese del Piglio DOCG sits in the Frosinone province of Lazio, on the slopes of the Monti Ernici, about 30 miles east of Rome. The appellation covers five municipalities: Piglio, Serrone, Acuto, Anagni, and Paliano, spanning an amphitheater-shaped territory of roughly 200 square kilometers. Vineyards are planted at elevations between 200 and 600 meters above sea level, with a general west-to-southwest exposure that ensures good drainage and airflow. The climate is Mediterranean with significant continental influence: hot summers, cold winters, and pronounced diurnal shifts that preserve natural acidity.

The soils are defined by iron-rich red clay, known locally as terre rosse, formed from the erosion of the Ernici Mountains and mixed with sandstone, volcanic material, and calcareous subsoil. These nutrient-limited, well-drained soils naturally restrict yields and push quality in the vineyard. Cesanese del Piglio received DOC status in 1973 and was elevated to DOCG in 2008, becoming Lazio's first and only red wine DOCG. The appellation requires a minimum of 90% Cesanese grapes, with two permitted clones: Cesanese d'Affile, a late-ripening variety with small berries and higher structural potential, and Cesanese Comune, which is higher-yielding and earlier-ripening.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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