The short story here (and you can read more on the website) is that we, quite randomly, bumped into Daniele during harvest at the epic Cantina Ortaccio in Lago di Bolsena. He has his vineyards closer to Orvieto, but at the time was making his wines in the Ortaccio cellar, and he really looked to Massimo as a mentor (whose influence you can absolutely feel in the wines). Despite the franticness of hauling fruit, pressing and fermenting, we had a taste and a chat, got a proud nod from his mentor, and we were off to the races.
For customers that want unforgettable, full throttle, well-crafted, big-N Natural wines that stand apart, these are going to be an inspiring discovery. (And hook them up with some Ortaccio too, while you’re at it!)
Brace yourself for this fella… he’s got a future ahead of him.
“Mall’aia” Bianco 2022 - $180/cs (70% Procanico, remainder is Verdello, Drupeggio and Grechetto from 1HA of vines between 60 and 80 years old. The Procanico has 1 month maceration while the remainder are direct-press. Aged in stainless steel. No added sulfur.) Orvieto off the leash. Macerated stone fruit and limestone terroir in alignment. Punchy acidity.
“Mall’aia” Bianco 2022 - 70% Procanico, remainder is Verdello, Drupeggio and Grechetto from 1HA of vines between 60 and 80 years old. The Procanico has 1 month maceration while the remainder are direct-press. Aged in stainless steel. No added sulfur. Orvieto off the leash. Macerated stone fruit and limestone terroir in alignment. Punchy acidity.
“Mallabotte” Bianco 2022 - Barrel selection of the same cepage and fermentation process as above. Aged in old oak barrels. No added sulfur. More is more, with a little RS that we really love to balance out the salty minerality. The barrel aging offers satisfying tannin, depth and complexity.
“l’Parzallese” Rosso 2022 - 50% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from ~30 year old vines. Grapes all de-stemmed. Spontaneous fermentation with 1 month maceration in fiberglass tanks. No added sulfur. Think Loire red wine in Umbria. Generous red fruit and gravel. Tasting great.
“Cartacanta” Rosso 2022 - 100% Sangiovese from a small, 1/4 hectare vineyard approx 30 years old. Spontaneous fermentation. Aged in fiberglass. No added sulfur. Old-school, serious natural Italian wine. Wild and meaty! Tremendous.