Romolo Follador Oltre6cento Valdobbiadene Brut Nature 2022
In the 1950’s Romolo Follador decided to start bottling his own wine instead of selling it to other wines, and his son and grandchildren have followed in his footsteps and continued the family business, modernizing with the current generation, bringing state of the art tools to the cellar while keeping the family traditions still alive. They own 4.5 hectares on a steep hill in Follo, where the roots of the Glera vines sink directly into the rocks through less than 16 inches of topsoil. The family chooses to focus on the Valdobbiadene DOCG name on the bottles to differentiate their hand made wines from the mass-produced Prosecco in the plains.
The wine is made from 100% Glera grapes grown on limestone and sandstone at an altidtude of 280 meters, facing south-southwest, that were hand-harvested in mid-September. The wine was made in the classical method with the second fermentation in the bottle. The name Oltre6cento (beyond 600) is a tribute to the more than 600 hours of work per year devoted to this tiny vineyard, vastly more than most Prosecco vineyards. This sparkling wine is bone dry with a lingering finish, delightful on its own or with any snacks, particularly popcorn or fried chicken.
The wine is made from 100% Glera grapes grown on limestone and sandstone at an altidtude of 280 meters, facing south-southwest, that were hand-harvested in mid-September. The wine was made in the classical method with the second fermentation in the bottle. The name Oltre6cento (beyond 600) is a tribute to the more than 600 hours of work per year devoted to this tiny vineyard, vastly more than most Prosecco vineyards. This sparkling wine is bone dry with a lingering finish, delightful on its own or with any snacks, particularly popcorn or fried chicken.
Filipa Pato Bairrada Branco Bical Dinamico 2024
Filipa Pato was born and raised in Bairrada by her
winemaker father, who inspired both her and her sister to follow in his
footsteps. She started making her own
wine in 2001, when she saw numerous old vineyards in her region being
abandoned. She started by working with
fruit from local growers, and in 2006, was joined by her husband in the project
and they purchased their own vineyards and built a new winery. Their oldest vineyard dates back to 1864.
Bairrada is a coastal Portuguese wine region, squeezed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caramulo Mountains, with a mild and maritime climate, with lots of microclimates in different villages. The soil is primarily limestone. Bairrada experiences particularly marked diurnal temperature differences during the summer, with a diurnal shift of up to 40 degrees Celsius, helping the grapes retain their natural freshness and pronounced acidity. The vineyards are all dry farmed and certified biodynamic, and they are working to improve the biodiversity of the vineyards with local trees, bushes and cover crops.
Filipa’s motto is “authentic wines without makeup.” In the cellar, that translates to using only indigenous yeast, very low sulfites, the healthiest fruit from the vineyards, and limited oak. This white is a blend of two local varietals, 80% Bical and 20% Arinto, grown in chalky clay soil, whole-cluster pressed. 10% of the juice ferments and is matured in 500L French-oak pipas, the rest in tank. It opens with aromas of lemon, white flowers, and nuts. Complex with notes of citrus, balanced by nutty flavors and a lovely minerality in the dry finish, with a beautiful richness.
Bairrada is a coastal Portuguese wine region, squeezed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caramulo Mountains, with a mild and maritime climate, with lots of microclimates in different villages. The soil is primarily limestone. Bairrada experiences particularly marked diurnal temperature differences during the summer, with a diurnal shift of up to 40 degrees Celsius, helping the grapes retain their natural freshness and pronounced acidity. The vineyards are all dry farmed and certified biodynamic, and they are working to improve the biodiversity of the vineyards with local trees, bushes and cover crops.
Filipa’s motto is “authentic wines without makeup.” In the cellar, that translates to using only indigenous yeast, very low sulfites, the healthiest fruit from the vineyards, and limited oak. This white is a blend of two local varietals, 80% Bical and 20% Arinto, grown in chalky clay soil, whole-cluster pressed. 10% of the juice ferments and is matured in 500L French-oak pipas, the rest in tank. It opens with aromas of lemon, white flowers, and nuts. Complex with notes of citrus, balanced by nutty flavors and a lovely minerality in the dry finish, with a beautiful richness.
Ayunta Nerello Mascalese Terre Siciliane Rosso Vulcanico 2023
Filippo Mangione grew up in Agrigento on Sicily’s
southern coast, following in the family’s tradition in helping to tend his
grandfather’s vines to make wine. The
vineyards and building were sold off after his grandfather passed, but Filippo
remained inspired by the world of wine, working as a waiter, sommelier,
journalist, and in wines sales and export.
Working with other people’s wines just increased his dream to revive his
family’s legacy and make his own.
While visiting Etna in 2011, Filippo discovered a nearly abandoned vineyard owned by an older gentleman who could no longer work the land himself. Filippo was able to help him with the vineyard, and after he died, his widow, touched by Filippo’s dedication to the land and her late husband’s work, sold the land and buildings to him to build his dream.
Filippo now owns 2.8ha of vineyards on the northern slopes of Etna between Randazzo and Passopiciaro, predominantly planted to Nerello Mascalese, but also including Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante, and very rare varietals like Minella Bianca and Minnella Nera, with some vines reaching 100 years old. The farming is done almost exclusively by hand and are tended organically, with traditional winemaking styles that focus on letting the natural vitality of the soil shine through in the wines. This red undergoes spontaneous fermentation in an open-top concrete vat for around three weeks before being transferred to primarily neutral barrels for aging. This wine is rich and spicy, with the intensity of the volcanic soil showing in the structure of the wine, with bright fruit balancing the tannins.
While visiting Etna in 2011, Filippo discovered a nearly abandoned vineyard owned by an older gentleman who could no longer work the land himself. Filippo was able to help him with the vineyard, and after he died, his widow, touched by Filippo’s dedication to the land and her late husband’s work, sold the land and buildings to him to build his dream.
Filippo now owns 2.8ha of vineyards on the northern slopes of Etna between Randazzo and Passopiciaro, predominantly planted to Nerello Mascalese, but also including Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante, and very rare varietals like Minella Bianca and Minnella Nera, with some vines reaching 100 years old. The farming is done almost exclusively by hand and are tended organically, with traditional winemaking styles that focus on letting the natural vitality of the soil shine through in the wines. This red undergoes spontaneous fermentation in an open-top concrete vat for around three weeks before being transferred to primarily neutral barrels for aging. This wine is rich and spicy, with the intensity of the volcanic soil showing in the structure of the wine, with bright fruit balancing the tannins.
