SICILIAN / A.MU’NIN.NI / 1. (LITERALLY) LET'S GO 2. AN EXPRESSION OF ENCOURAGEMENT,DISBELIEF, INSISTENCE, ETC.: COME ON, GO ON, LET'S GO
SICILIAN / A.MU’NIN.NI / 1. (LITERALLY) LET'S GO 2. AN EXPRESSION OF ENCOURAGEMENT,DISBELIEF, INSISTENCE, ETC.: COME ON, GO ON, LET'S GO
bringing the best
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november
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RENATO MOLINO
LA MORRA, PIEMONTE
WHEN WE TRAVELLED TO ITALY IN JANUARY AND WE MET CHIARA MOLINO IN TURIN, SHE CONVINCED US TO EXTEND OUR TRIP AND VISIT THEIR PROPERTY IN LA MORRA BY SHOWING US PHOTOS OF THEIR TINY CELLAR IN LA MORRA. THE DAY AFTER, WHEN WE PULLED INTO THEIR COURTYARD AND WE SAW CHIARA AND RENATO WAVING AT US FROM A NARROW DOOR REVEALING A ROW OF LARGE WOODEN BARRELS CRAMMED IN THE GROUND FLOOR OF AN OLD CASCINA, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD DISCOVERED SOMETHING SPECIAL.
FIRST, RENATO WANTED TO SHOW US THEIR VINEYARDS TO PROFIT FROM THE SUN THAT WAS WARMING UP A COLD WINTER MORNING, HAVING DISPELLED THE FOG OF THE EARLIER HOURS. IN THAT WAY, TOO, HIS WIFE WOULD BE BACK IN TIME FROM THE LOCAL MARKET TO SERVE US SOME LOCAL CHEESE FOR THE TASTING.
TELLING STORIES OF HIS CHILDHOOD AMONG THOSE VVERY INES, OF HELPING HIS FATHER IN THE CELLAR, RENATO CLIMBS BETWEEN ROWS FASTER AND EASIER THAN ANY OF THE REST OF US, IN SPITE OF BEING DOUBLE OUR AGE. IT MUST BE THE HABIT. THESE HILLS, THESE VINES, THESE GRAPES, BAROLO IS SECOND NATURE TO RENATO. IN FACT, HE TELLS US, BAROLO IS ALL HE HAS EVER DRUNK, EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE. RENATO LEANRT TO MAKE BAROLO FROM HIS FATHER AND WHEN IN THE 80S AND 90S PEOPLE STARTED USING BARRIQUES HE NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED SWITCHING, THAT’S JUST NOT HOW HE KNOWS TO MAKE THIS WINE…AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
NOW, RENATO, WHO IS STILL AT THE HEAD OF THE AZIENDA, INVOLVED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, FROM CARING FOR HIS PLANTS TO BOTTLING, IS PASSING ON HIS EXPERIENCE TO HIS FOUR DAUGHTERS. CHIARA, IN PARTICULAR, WHO HAS RETURNED TO LA MORRA AFTER STUDYING OENOLOGY WORKS CLOSELY WITH HER FATHER TO PRESERVE THE FAMILY’S LEGACY. CHIARA, SAYS RENATO, HAS A BETTER NOSE THAN HIM, BUT SHE SAYS SHE HAS A LOT TO LEARN FROM HIM STILL. RENATO’S DEDICATION TRANSLATES TO SLEEPLESS NIGHTS IN THE CELLAR WHEN FERMENTATION IS UNDERWAY BECAUSE RENATO, WHO HAS NEVER USED SELECTED YEASTS WANTS TO OVERSEE EVERY MOMENT TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE RESULTS.
THE FAMILY VINEYARDS ARE SPLIT BETWEEN THE VILLERO AND ROCCHE DELL’ANNUNZIATA CRUS, PLUS A SMALL PARCEL RIGHT BY THEIR HOUSE NEAR THE URBAN CLUSTER OF LA MORRA WHERE RENATO HARVESTS THE GRAPES DEDICATED TO HIS NON-APPELLATION NEBBIOLO, SPLUVA. TASTING THESE WINES FEELS LIKE DIVING INTO THE SOUL OF PIEMONTE. NOTES OF TRUFFLE ON THE NOSE LEAVE WAY TO DELICATE ROSE AND VIOLET ON THE PALATE WITH A PERSISTENT FINISH THAT WILL ETCH ITSELF IN YOUR MEMORY.
SPLUVA 2022 (NEBBIOLO)
BAROLO DOCG 2019 (NEBBIOLO)
BAROLO DOCG 2019 MAGNUM (NEBBIOLO)
BAROLO DOCG ROCCHE DELL’ANNUNZIATA 2019 (NEBBIOLO)
LA VEDETTA
BARBARESCO, PIEMONTE
CANTINA MARCO MERLI IS A SMALL FAMILY RUN WINERY IN THE VILLAGE OF CASA DEL DIAVOLO IN THE COLLI ALTOTIBERINI OUTSIDE OF PERUGIA. THE CANTINA WAS CONCEIVED BY MARCO’S FATHER ENZO IN 2003, ORIGINALLY FOCUSING ON NEARBY ABANDONED VINEYARDS. MARCO JOINED HIS FATHER IN 2006, LEAVING BEHIND LIFE AS A FASHION DESIGNER AND DEVOTING ALL HIS TIME AND ENERGY INTO UNDERSTANDING THEIR LAND AND CREATING AN IDENTITY IN THE BOTTLE.
TODAY MARCO FARMS 7 HECTARES SPREAD AMONGST VARIOUS SMALL PLOTS, EACH WITH A DISTINCT EXPOSURE AND LANDSCAPE. ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ONE VINEYARD YOU’LL FIND LOCALS FREQUENTING A FAVORITE FISHING SPOT. QUICK DRIVE UP THE HILL AND YOU’RE AT A DIFFERENT SITE MARKED BY STEEP WINDSWEPT CHUTES. THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE TESTED MARCO’S RESOLVE - THE CONSTRUCTION OF A GIANT WIND TURBINE FORCED HIM TO LET GO OF SOME FAVORITE OLD VINEYARDS. MARCO USED THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFOCUS, NURTURING YOUNGER VINEYARDS AND HARMONIZING WITH NATURE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. HIS UNIQUE VINEYARDS ARE OF MOSTLY CLAY AND LIMESTONE SOILS GROWING SANGIOVESE, CILIEGIOLO, MALVASIA NERA, VERMENTINO, TREBBIANO, MALVASIA DI CANDIA, GRECHETTO, & MOSCATO. THE LAND IS WILD BUT MARCO’S WINES ARE PRECISE. SAVORY, TEXTURAL, AND AROMATIC, THE FIRST ARRIVAL OF HIS NEW VINTAGE ARE AS PROMISING AS EVER.
CMM BIANCO 2024 3L (ALL THE WHITE GRAPES OF MARCO’S VINEYARDS)
[SOME DIRECT PRESS, SOME WITH A SHORT MACERATION]
CMM ROSSO 2023 3L (ALL THE RED GRAPES OF MARCO’S VINEYARDS)
[PARTIAL CARBONIC MACERATION]
000202024 BIANCO 2023 (VERMENTINO, TREBBIANO, MALVASIA DI CANDIA, GRECHETTO)
[DIRECT PRESS, STEEL FERMENTATION]
ZERODIBABO ROSATO 2024 (SANGIOVESE, CILIEGIOLO, MALVASIA NERA)
[40% SOFT PRESSING, 40% SALASSO (SAIGNEE), 20% CARBONIC]
CLAUDIO PLESSI
MODENA, EMILIA-ROMAGNA
CLAUDIO PLESSI HAS BEEN AN ESSENTIAL FIGURE IN EMILIAN AND MODENESE AGRICULTURE AND WINEMAKING FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS. HE’S A PROFESSOR, RESEARCHER, POLITICAL ACTIVIST, FARMER, WINEMAKER, & MENTOR. HE WAS BORN IN 1952 IN THE SMALL TOWN CASTELNUOVO RANGONE JUST SOUTH OF MODENA. IN 1958 HIS FAMILY BEGAN FARMING INDIGENOUS VINES AND FRUIT TREES, SELLING THEIR GRAPES AND JUICE TO THE LOCAL CONSORTIUM. FOR THEIR FAMILY CONSUMPTION THEY MADE THIN WINE OF SGAVETTA. AS A SMALL CHILD CLAUDIO WAS TASKED WITH CLIMBING INTO THE VATS TO RAKE POMACE INTO BUCKETS. TOOLS WERE CLEANED WITH WINE RATHER THAN WATER TO PREVENT MOLD.
CLAUDIO’S DEDICATION LED HIM TO TEACH AND RESEARCH AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITIES IN PARMA AND BOLOGNA. IN THE LATE 80S HE WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF IL SALTO, A CONSORTIUM FOR ORGANIC PRODUCERS. IN THE EARLY 90S HE WAS PART OF THE GRETA PROJECT AND COORDINATED COURSES ON ORGANIC FARMING AND HOMEOPATHIC AGRONOMY.
IN 2000 CLAUDIO PLANTED A LITTLE OVER 3 HECTARES OF INDIGENOUS VINES NEXT TO HIS FAMILY HOME WITH THE PURPOSE OF PRESERVATION AND DISCOVERY. THIS VINEYARD HAS BECOME A LIBRARY OF ANCIENT AND FORGOTTEN GRAPES AND HE TENDS TO IT LIKE A BOTANICAL GARDEN. HE PREFERS TO MAKE SINGLE VARIETAL BOTTLINGS, BOTH STILL AND SPARKLING, TO TRULY SHOWCASE THE DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE UNIQUE GRAPES.
AT HIS HOME VINEYARD YOU CAN FIND FESTASIO, SGAVETTA, LAMBRUSCONE, & GRAPELLO TO NAME A FEW. NONE MORE INTERESTING THAN TREBBIANINA KNOWN LOCALLY AS TREBBIANO DI SPAGNA. THIS RARE GRAPE IS UNCOMMON FOR WINEMAKING DUE TO ITS LOW PRODUCTIVITY. LONG SPARSE BUNCHES AND SMALL BERRIES, IT WAS HISTORICALLY USED FOR TRADITIONAL MODENESE BALSAMIC VINEGAR. CLAUDIO IS ONE OF A FEW WINEMAKERS WHO GROW AND VINIFY THIS GRAPE AND THE RESULTS ARE TRULY SINGULAR.
CAVERIOL 2021 (STILL RED WINE OF FESTASIO)
GRAPEL 2022 (SPARKLING RED WINE OF GRAPELLO)
LAMBRUSCAUN 2022 (SPARKLING RED WINE OF LAMBRUSO DEL PELLEGRINO)
SGAVATA 2021 (STILL RED WINE OF SGAVETTA)
TARBIAN 2022 (SPARKLING WHITE WINE OF TREBBIANO MODENESE)
TARBIANEIN 2020 (SPARKLING WHITE WINE OF TREBBIANO DI SPAGNA)
TIEPIDO 2021 (SPARKLING RED WINE OF LAMBRUSCO GRASPAROSSA)
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