History
The earliest records of the origins of the ancient farm date back to 1793
The earliest records of the origins of the ancient farm date back to 1793. The splendid hunting estate was brought as a dowry by the noblewoman Adelina Ruggeri De' Capobianchi to her illustrious husband, Raffaele Castorani. The fame of the renowned surgeon, who was a professor for years at the Sorbonne in Paris and the inventor of the first cataract surgery technique, bestowed prestige upon the estate itself, which has since borne his name: Villa Castorani.
Later, ownership of the estate passed to another distinguished professor, Antonio Casulli. Of Sardinian origin, Casulli was a lecturer in International Law at the University of Naples and later at the University of Tokyo, where he earned the personal esteem of Emperor Hirohito. This marked the most prosperous period for the farm around the villa, which expanded to over two hundred hectares of cultivated land. After Casulli's death at the end of the 1970s, the property was divided, and for over twenty years, the estate endured an inexorable decline: the villa was abandoned and the vineyards were left untended.
That changed in 1999 when the threads of ancient history were rewoven, thanks to the tenacious will of a group of friends. The current members of the Castorani company, the Trulli and Cavuto families, actively participate in the management of the company, overseeing every stage from grape production to wine promotion and marketing.
Driven by a passion for fine wine and committed to producing high-quality wines, the members of the winery operate with full respect for the ancient peasant values that have characterized this countryside for centuries, following in the footsteps of a long history of attachment to the fertile land of Abruzzo, within the emerging CASAURIA DOCG.
After years of dedicated work, Castorani's selection of wines now epitomizes the region's commitment to producing grapes of superb quality, transformed into wine with great passion using traditional techniques. Our bottles narrate the tale of hills situated 350 meters above sea level in the municipality of Alanno, within the province of Pescara. Here, nestled between the Majella National Park and the nearby Adriatic coast, our vineyards bask in optimal sunlight exposure and benefit from refreshing night winds, as well as temperature fluctuations between day and night, which imbue the grapes with unique and prized characteristics.
Today, much like in bygone eras, everything revolves around the magnificent mansion that presides over the estate, spanning approximately one hundred hectares and surrounded by lush, unspoiled countryside. The predominantly cultivated vines are of the 'Montepulciano' variety, while white grapes include 'Trebbiano,' 'Malvasia,' 'Cococciola,' 'Pecorino,' and 'Passerina,' with a small area dedicated to experimental varieties.
The vineyards boast an average age of over 30 years and are entirely cultivated using organic farming methods, eschewing pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Specifically, we employ biological control methods for vineyard protection and nourish the vines with natural fertilizers.