We're thrilled to have new wines available now from Patrizia and Max at Cantina Ortaccio - working vines by hand scattered through Gradoli & Latera. The 2022 releases are brilliantly bright and delicate, very much wines of the vintage, we are very pleased to have in time for summer.
Totalling four hecatres, you'll find their parcels on the volcanic hills overlooking the north-western shores of Lake Bolsena. At an elevation of 450-500m, the soils are a mix of tufa, volcanic rock and sand. Among the parcels are vines planted by Massimo's grandfather in 1948; other old vines abandoned by the village elders that the couple have restored; and their newer plantings of local varieties.
Working mostly with Procanico, Greghetto, Sangiovese, Grechetto, Malvasia, and Ciliegiolo: Ortaccio is a project dedicated to expressing the heart of this remarkable terroir.
Work in the vines is committed and minimises impact: practising no-till organic agriculture, the pair never work the soil and tasks are tended by hand. Come springtime the vineyards explode with a cover of poppies, chamomile, St. John's wort, nettle and chicory.
In the cellar, Max is following the guiding star of his grandfather's wines- ones he helped to make as a young boy. Nothing is added at any stage, all varieties are treated the same, mostly de-stemmed and macerated gently, aged below the town for 10 months in the limestone caves, in fibreglass, oak and chestnut barrels.
The wines are available now and detailed in full on the blog, linked via the bio.
AVAILABLE NOW
All wines are bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with no additions.
2022 - Bianco Dritto - Procanico
Hand harvested from vines between 40 - 80 years old. De-stemmed and macerated on the skins in fibreglass. After 10 days, half of the wine was pressed to chestnut barrels to continue fermentation and ageing. The other half finishes fermentation in fibreglass after 20 days, then pressed to oak. Aged 10 months in barrels.
2022 - Pocorosso - Procanico, Sangiovese
Hand harvested from vines between 15 - 40 years old from parcels across Gradoli and Latera. Grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in fibreglass for the duration of fermentation, about 15 days. Part aged in fibreglass, part in old barriques, the wine is assembled 10 months later.
2022 - Rosso - Sangiovese, Greghetto
Hand harvested from vines 20-40 years old from small parcels in Gradoli and Latera. De-stemmed and fermented in fibreglass for 15-20 days. The wine is aged for 10 months in old barrels.
2022 - Cabaleo - Aleatico, Cabernet Sauvignon
Hand harvested, 50% Aleatico from new young vines in Gradoli and 50% Cab Sauv hand harvested from a friend, both de-stemmed and macerated together for two weeks, aged 13 months in oak barriques.
2021 - Vecchi Filari - Sangiovese, Greghetto, Ciliegiolo
Hand harvested from parcels across Gradoli and Latera, Greghetto from a small parcel in Gradoli planted in 1948, the others between 40-60 years old. De-stemmed and macerated in fibreglass for duration of fermentation: between 15-20 days. Aged for 9 months in oak barrels.
2021 - Merlotto - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
2021 - Merlotto magnum - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Hand harvested Merlot from Daniele Fuso, Umbria. De-stemmed and macerated in fibreglass for duration of fermentation: between 15-20 days. Aged for 9 months in barriques.
