Cataldi Madonna

Historical background of Ofena

The estate stands at Ofena, in a territory inhabited by the Vestini, a people of Osco-Umbrian origin, from at least the fifth century BCE. The celebrated Guerriero di Capestrano was sculpted during that period and was later discovered only a short distance from the estate vineyards.

Ofena and Capestrano belonged to the Acquaviva family in the later Middle Ages and to the Piccolomini during the Renaissance. They were subsequently sold to Francesco I de’ Medici, passing first into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and then becoming a principality. The Florentine dynasty retained the territory as an enclave surrounded by the Bourbon kingdom until 1747. This long Tuscan connection inspired the theory that the Ofena plateau may have been the birthplace of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo through an encounter between local biotypes and Tuscan viticultural knowledge.

Before the Second World War, the province of L’Aquila—and Ofena in particular—was Abruzzo’s leading wine-producing area. After the war, the centre of volume production moved toward the more easily cultivated coastal provinces.

1920: the family wine-growing enterprise begins

Baron Luigi Cataldi Madonna began the family’s wine-growing activity in 1920. This marked the first of four generations associated with the estate.

1975: the first estate bottling

Luigi’s son Antonio Cataldi Madonna bottled the family’s wine for the first time in 1975. From that year onward, he reproduced the unmistakable figure of the Guerriero di Capestrano on the labels, linking the wines with an archaeological emblem discovered near the vineyards.

1988: Tonì

In 1988, Luigi Cataldi Madonna created Tonì in honour of his father, Antonio—also called Tonino. The wine later became part of the estate’s Vigneti range.

1990: Luigi Cataldi Madonna takes over

Luigi, Antonio’s son and the founder’s grandson, assumed responsibility for the estate in 1990. He continued the family project by sharpening the identity of its products and working to increase recognition of the territory. Until the beginning of the 1990s, Cataldi Madonna was virtually the sole winery maintaining a presence across the wine-growing area of Ofena.

1997: Piè delle Vigne

Piè delle Vigne Cerasuolo was produced for the first time in 1997. Its conception revisited the local historical practice known as svacata, combining a white and a red vinification partway through their fermentations.

2003: Lorenzo Landi joins the estate

Agronomist and oenologist Lorenzo Landi began contributing to the estate in 2003, supporting both vineyard and cellar work.

2016: certified-organic grapes

From 2016, the wines have been produced from certified-organic grapes.

2017: evolution of Tonì’s maturation

Tonì had been matured for one year in barriques through the 2015 vintage, followed by another year in bottle. From the 2017 vintage, its maturation moved to 25-hectolitre large casks.

The fourth generation

Giulia Cataldi Madonna is the current owner and represents the fourth generation. The estate now comprises 30 hectares of vineyards, all within the commune of Ofena and planted exclusively with the native or traditional varieties Montepulciano, Pecorino and Trebbiano.

The 30 hectares of vineyards are planted exclusively with Montepulciano, Pecorino and Trebbiano. The principal stated vineyard objective is to protect the varietal expression of the grapes, especially through management of the leaf canopy.

The wines have been made from certified-organic grapes since 2016. Vineyard work is framed by respect for the land, attention to innovation and the advancement of Abruzzo’s indigenous varieties. The multifunctional team connects vineyard and cellar duties: Valerio Carota combines cellar work with assistance on the tractor, while Fabrizio Delfino combines tractor operation with cellar assistance. Agronomist and oenologist Lorenzo Landi contributes to the estate’s work in both spheres.

The wines are vinified as single-variety wines and under reductive conditions, meaning in the absence of oxygen. The cellar objective is to retain the drive, savoury character and freshness present in the grapes rather than obscure their original expression.

The production facilities include a working cellar and a barrel area. The broader range demonstrates the use of both steel and wood, although complete estate-wide protocols are not defined. One documented historical technique is the local svacata, reinterpreted for Piè delle Vigne by combining a white vinification and a red vinification halfway through their respective fermentations. The estate has also used barriques and 25-hectolitre large casks in the maturation of Tonì, with the change to large casks beginning in the 2017 vintage.