Central Italy amazes more and more with its very successful bet on sparkling wines. Well-known and award-winning wineries in Umbria and Abruzzo are today on a par with the great DOCGs historically suited to the classic method.
Lazio is still little explored and appreciated, a land of ancient viticulture which, however, over the centuries has almost settled on its oenological fame. Yet, in recent years, something has changed. The rediscovery of an ancestral tradition, inherent to these places and of such a varied and prosperous terroir, has led passionate and audacious winemakers to focus on quality and to produce wines with unexpected characteristics. And moving away from the well-known Roman hills and the fragrant Frascati DOCG, north of the capital you discover a small paradise for the heart, eyes and palate. Just stroll through the green streets that smell of tuff and history, to realize the extraordinary potential of this area. Tuscia, once the capital of the Etruscan kingdom, silently and majestically preserves the beauty of its past and projects it towards the future, ready to give the gifts of its land to those who know how to cultivate them. Among the ancient remains and the hills with sometimes volcanic, now pebbly and clayey soils, native and non-native vines grow here, each capable of expressing itself to the best of its potential. And when the right clone meets such a unique terroir, the result can only surprise.
Heritage vineyards is a young company born out of a love for wine and for precious things. For years Rosa Capece and Antonio Pellegrino they dream of producing their own wine, precisely their sparkling wine, after decades spent tasting it and telling it as experts. As they often repeat, in order to make a good wine, in addition to good vineyards and the right exposure, it is first necessary to gain knowledge and develop the ability to imagine the result that one can and wants to obtain even before harvesting the grapes. By chance, they discover Tuscia and immediately appreciate its interesting qualities. By studying the aptitude and suitability of the territory, it is immediately clear that there is the possibility of making excellent sparkling wines, even if no one has ever had the courage to really try. So they decide to be the first.
Their adventure began in 2007, helped and warmly encouraged by Michele Capece, brother of Rosa, now engaged almost full time in the family business. They sell the beloved Apulian lands sprinkled with olive trees, certainly reluctantly, because their grandparents had spent their whole lives among those olive groves, but sure that what they are about to create will give just as many emotions. They bet everything on their project by falling in love with that hill a Ischia di Castro full of weeds, poorly pruned Malvasia vines, with a ruined farmhouse and not even a well for water. But the excellent exposure and the all volcanic and calcareous soil, with an important skeleton, promise well. During the day they break up the soil, plant the cuttings, consult with the agronomist and the oenologist, prof. Marco Esti of the University of Tuscia, but they also listen to the farmers of the area. At night they study, they study a lot, because knowing how to make a wine is not like reviewing it, nor is it a simple thing to make, as it seems from the books. And they wait patiently, waiting for those green leaves to turn into vines full of life and gems. Meanwhile, they think about the name for their company. The link with the territory is immediately very strong and the charm of this land is so powerful that Rosa, Antonio and Michele decide they want to celebrate it in the round. They choose Heritage vineyards because the historical name of the current Province of Viterbo was "Province of the Heritage of St. Peter", in the period in which from the Middle Ages until the birth of the Italian State it was part of the Papal State. And then il logo, which reproduces the image of an Etruscan winged lion, found in a tomb not far from the ruins of the Renaissance "model city" of Castro, destroyed in the second half of the 600s and close to the company's vineyards.
On the almost 3 hectares of their small company, they plant the right clones of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, increasingly convinced that the company should be entirely dedicated to refermentation in the bottle. Soon, however, they realize that in some points of their property it would not be wise to breed these cultivars. Since the territory always rules, they have to change their plans. Rows of Cabernet Franc are then planted, partly out of necessity, partly out of love for this red grape variety. The choice to indulge mother nature does not disappoint: the vines planted give wonderful bunches, capable of giving life to an elegant and substantial red. Thus it was born Vepres, the only still red of the company, a XNUMX% Cabernet that makes a year of first and second passage barriques. It takes its name from the locality where its vines thrive, but veps it is also the Latin term that indicates a spontaneous shrub with blue berries that vaguely resemble grapes. The first harvest in 2012 is a success. The effort never fails, above all because none of the three abandons the main profession which has nothing to do with viticulture, but the fruits are so generous as to alleviate any tiredness. The limited vineyard area allows painstaking manual harvesting, where it is possible to select the bunches with the best berries. Even the management of the vineyard is absolutely manual, without the use of machines and when possible without the use of pesticides or other synthetic substances, in full respect of the territory, the vine and the consumer.
The perfect musts, fragrant and sugary at the right point, are fermented. And then, we proceed with the sparkling process. Autumns pass, and the time for the big leap has arrived. It begins, after more than 24 months of aging on the lees, with the disgorgement of Pinot Noir, the prince of sparkling wines, which gives life to Rosè AlaRosa. A few months later, that elegant Chardonnay, so mineral and fresh, is also disgorged, and AlaDoro is born. 2018 is the year of the disgorgement of AlaNera, their first Blanc de Noir which rests on the lees for 60 months. The following harvests were just as positive, and next spring will see the third vintage of AlaRosa and AlaDoro, together with the second generation of AlaNera.
Vigne del Patrimonio convinces because it teaches that dedication and determination always lead to the creation of value. They have bet on an almost forgotten territory, winning not only because Tuscia has great potential, but above all because they have decided to contribute in their small way to re-evaluating this corner of the world by choosing the most difficult vinification that exists, the one that requires more competence on the part of the producer and quality by the grapes.
Today, seeing young companies take such courageous steps and with a confident gaze towards the future, in a historical moment that would suggest the opposite, is an exciting experience, just as exciting as the wines they have learned to produce.
Blackwing, their flagship sparkling wine, is, as already explained, a brut Blanc de Noir, left in refermentation for 5 years. It is a wine that has the taste of the place, of the dark soil from which it is born and expresses all the patience and dedication of those who conceived and cared for it. On the nose, it offers an inviting minerality of schist and flint, which binds to fruit, dry pastries and pepper. The mouth is fresh, savory, gently fruity and toasted. It has an almost tactile texture, which supports a once again mineral dialectic of chalk, flint and rock salt throughout the tasting, here even more expressed than in the nose.
Its almost masculine elegance makes it perfect to accompany a noble tuna fillet with ginger and sesame oil but also a rabbit with myrtle. The production does not exceed 1000 bottles and the cost is 42 euros.
Heritage Vineyards Winery
Vicinale Vepre Road, Ischia di Castro 01010 (VT) Lazio
Category: Winery
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vineyardsofpatrimonio/
Mobile: + 39 328.65.07.893
Vigne del Patrimonio was born in Ischia di Castro, a splendid village built on Etruscan remains and surrounded by luxuriant hilly countryside. The company extends over soft and sunny volcanic slopes which, descending from Lake Bolsena, look out to the sea and enjoy the breezes that blow up from it, in a landscape where the harmony of nature still reigns.
With its 3 hectares of vineyards, today 20.000 bottles are produced a year, but the recent acquisition of another 3 hectares of land will double these figures in a few years. However, the intention of Rosa, Tonino and Michele is to stop at small but well-attended numbers. Quality must always win over quantity. The production is dedicated to the classic method in three proposals: AlaDoro, a Blanc de Blanc from Chardonnay, AlaRosa, the Rosé from Pinot Noir and AlaNera, the Blanc de Noir from Pinot Noir. The exception is Vepre, their still red from Cabernet Franc, a vine that has proven to express itself very well in this territory. All the wines, both the three classic method and the Cabernet Franc, are aged for a year in the bottle after disgorgement or after bottling before being put on the market.
