Cantina Ortaccio
Winemaker
Patrizia Montanari and Massimo Antonuzi
Type of agriculture
Organic uncertified
Vineyard area
4.5 ha
Country, Region, Subregion
Scattered through the hills overlooking the north-western shores of Lake Bolsena - the largest volcanic lake in Europe - you'll find a patchwork of parcels totalling four hectares attentively farmed by Patrizia Montanari and Massimo Antonuzi.
Around the towns of Gradoli and Latera in Lazio, their ungrafted vines are situated at an elevation of 450-500m, the soils 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 the remarkable terroir of Latera and Gradoli. The memory of each harvest with his grandfather and the lightning bolt of those pure, humble wines has been an inspiration to Massimo since he was 12 years old.
Work in the vines is committed and minimises impact: 'less is more' is the motto here. Practising a no-till organic agriculture, the pair never work the soil, tasks are tended by hand and in recent vintages they have applied no treatments at all. Come spring time the parcels explode with a cover of poppies, chamomile, St. John's wort, nettle and chicory.
In the cellar - itself a pretty remarkable sight, in the centre of town and cut directly into the limestone - Massimo is simply trying to get as close as he can to the wines he helped his Grandfather make as a young boy. Nothing is added at any stage, red and white varieties are treated the same: de-stemmed and macerated gently then aged in chestnut and oak barrels for 10 months in the caves.
It's a privilege to be able to share the wines of Patrizia & Massimo: wines that vibrate with their sense of place, and the humility of a family tradition revived.
Wines
