When Michele and I were in Rome last month, my friend Marco Melizi asked me if I would like to taste some wines. Marco is a wine salesperson in NYC and one of the most knowledgeable people that I know when it comes to Italian wine. He sent me 4 bottles from the Azienda Agricola Biologica Bio Vio in Liguria and 2 bottles of wine from Fattoria Nicodemi in Abruzzo.
The wines of Azienda Agricola Biologica Bio Vio
Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC Vementino made from 100% Vermentino. Produced from vines at an average age of 35 years. The vineyard is at 60 meters and the soil is clay, ferruginous/sandy. The training system is spurred cordon and sapling. Harvest is from mid-August to mid-September. Cryomaceration takes place for 24 hours followed by soft pressing and fermentation with indigenous yeasts at controlled temperature in steel tanks. Battonage in steel for 4 months. The wine remains in steel for 4 more months then in bottle for two months before release. It has hints of rosemary, green apple, peach and almond, savory notes, and nice minerality. The winery was founded in the 1980’s in the heart of the Ligurian hinterland and their philosophy is to preserve the artisanal methods of the region. The winery has been certified organic since 1989 and organic and traditional methods of cultivation are used.
Riviera Ligure di Ponente Pigato “Marene” made from 100% Pigato. The vineyard is at 100 meters and the soil is clayey, ferruginous/calcareous. Training system is guyot, spurred cordon and sapling. Harvest is from mid-September to mid-October. Cryomaceration for 24 hours followed by soft pressing, fermentation at controlled temperature with indigenous yeasts, battonage in steel tanks for 4 months and 2 months in bottle before release. The wine has hints of cedar, peach, and almond with a touch of moss.
Riviera Ligure di Ponente Pigato “Bon in Da Bon” DOC made from 100% Pigato, macerated late harvest wine. Terraced vineyards of 20 year old vines are at 250 meters and the soil is marly-ferruginous. The exposure is south/west. The late harvest is at the end of October. Fermentation is on the skins for 10 days with indigenous yeasts. Battonage for 12 months in a third passage French oak vat. The wine ages for 12 months in large barrels and 4 months in bottle before release. The wine has hints of ripe fruit, apricot, aromatic herbs and a touch of broom.
Rivera Ligure di Ponte Pigato “Grand-Père” Made from 100% Pigato, a late harvest wine. Vineyards are at 100 meters and the vines are about 30 years old. The training is spurred cordon and sapling and the soil is clayey and ferruginous. Exposure is south/west. Late harvest at the end of October. Two harvesting steps are made. The grapes of the first selection go into the Pigato “Marenè”, while the remaining part of the grapes remain on the plant for about a month more. Cryomaceration for 24 hours followed by soft pressing at low temperatures. Fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature with indigenous yeasts. Battonage in steel for 6 months. The wine is aged for 6 months and 2 months in bottle before release. The wine has hints of almonds, citrus fruit, peach and a touch of sage.
The Wines of Fattoria Nicodemi
Fattoria Nicodemi Trebbiano D’Abruzzo Cocciopesto Made from 100% Trebbiano D’Abruzzo.The wines are grown on clay and limestone soils in the Teramo hills, influenced by the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso mountains. 50-year-old Trebbiano vines are grown on the pergola. Grapes are destemmed but not crushed and go into the cocciopesto containers to ferment with ambient yeast. This wine macerates for 10 days, then gets punched down. It remains macerating on the skins for 6 months. At this point, the skins sink to the bottom and the wine is racked off the top. They then are returned to the vessel to complete fermentation and aging. This wine is bottled unfiltered and released 1.5 to 2 years after harvest. The wine has hints of lemon, lime, citron, with herbal notes and touch of basil. It is an organic winery.
Cocciopesto is ancient opus signinum that mixes brick, stone fragments, sand, binder and water. It isn’t like terracotta and it was used by the Romans and even before that, it had been used by the Phoenicians. It was used to clad aqueducts, cisterns and thermal baths. The shape of the wine container – inspired by the Roman dolium tradition – suggests that the egg-shaped interior’s convective motion fosters the recirculation of must during winemaking. Cocciopesto amphoras don’t impart any flavor to the wines.
Fattoria Nicodemi Colline Teramane Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOCG Cocciopesto Bio 2021 made from 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. The vineyards are at 300 meters. The soil is of a medium mixture of calcareous clay and there are 1,600 plants per hectare. The average age of the vines is 50 years and the training system is Abruzzo pergola. Harvest is near the end of October. Maceration is for 10–15 days and spontaneous fermentation with ambient yeasts in cocciopesto amphorae.The wine spends 12 months in cocciopesto amphorae then it is decanted. No filtration before bottling. The wine remains in the bottle for 6 months before release. This is a full bodied and balanced wine with hints of blueberry, blackberry, spice with a touch of leather and a note of licorice.