new arrivals: borgono rivata, castellaccio, il pingro
BORGOGNO RIVATA - La Morra, Piemonte
At the office we have been waiting for these wines to come back for a moment now. Last time around, they were gone so fast that we barely got to archive some for ourselves. Not that we expect them to last much longer this time, but it’s a pleasure to be able to offer the lates iteration of Giovanni’s work, since it’s never simply more of the same.
Just recently we were in La Morra with him, where over a couple of days, Giovanni reaffirmed his commitment to Nebbiolo. Not that that’s surprising from someone who makes wine in Barolo, of course Giovanni is devoted to Nebbiolo. What his commitment refers to is to working with Nebbiolo in a way that is consistent with its characteristic, working with the tannins and not against them. Giovanni has no desire to make a Nebbiolo that looks, tastes and feels like a Pinot Noir, to make Nebbiolo be what it is not. And yet, this does not mean that he is not experimenting with this grape, as demonstrated by the fact that the current offering includes four wines based on 100% Nebbiolo: a Langhe Nebbiolo, two Barolos, and Cuvée 001 of Lotti Sparsi (which blends three vintages of Barolo)
Alongside Nebbiolo, Giovanni continues to do amazing work with Pelaverga, both in a wonderfully bright Langhe Rosso and in his new easy red, ‘Lumas’, and Barbera, where the new 2023 vintage holds up to the high expectation set by the 2022.
This shipment from Borgogno Rivata includes:
LUMAS ROSSO
100% Pelaverga
LANGHE ROSSO DOC 2024
100% Pelaverga
BARBERA D’ALBA SUPERIORE DOC 2023
100% Barbera
LANGHE NEBBIOLO DOC 2023
100% Nebbiolo
BAROLO DOCG 2022
100% Nebbiolo
BAROLO DOCG ‘TRE MADAME’ 2021
100% Nebbiolo from Borgogno Rivata’s three oldest large wood barrels
LOTTI SPARSI ‘CUVÉE 001R’
100% Nebbiolo
Made from 70% Barolo ‘23, 15% Barolo ‘22, 15% Barolo ‘24
CASTELLACCIO - Greve in Chianti, Toscana
Azienda Agricola Castellaccio is the latest addition to the Amuninni portfolio and our first ever Chianti Classico producer. Chianti is a region that we approached with caution, there is a lot of Chianti out there… Of course, it had to be Chianti Classico, that is, from the original boundaries of the appellation, before foreign demand brought about a broad expansion and industrialization of Chianti. The historic core of the appellation, whose boundaries were defined by Cosimo III de’ Medici in 1716 (making it the oldest wine appellation worldwide) is now protected and distinguished by this more specific term, and Castellaccio finds itself at the heart of this micro-region.
Expanding between Lamole and Lucolena, two of the most prestigious ‘crus’ of Chianti, Castellaccio prides itself with owning the single highest elevation vineyard of the whole appellation, while all of their land extends between 500 and 700 meters above sea level. Davide Bottai, the family’s fifth generation to work these vines, accordingly likes to refers to his wines as ‘mountain sangiovese’: extremely sharp and lifted, favoring crunchier red fruit and a more savory finish.
Blessed with a rich family tradition, ideal soils and exposition, Davide has opted for an hands-off approach in the vineyard, where grass grows tall and his only concern is preserving the integrity of his premium fruit, which is then carefully selected at harvest so that only the highest quality grapes make it to the cellar, where Davide favors spontaneous fermentations and old wood.
Our first shipment from Castellaccio includes four wines:
CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG ‘COSTE DI FELICE’ 2024
100% Sangiovese from Lamole and Lucolena
CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG ‘LAMA DELLA RINASCITA’ 2024
100% Sangiovese from Lucolena’s schisty soils
CHIANTO CLASSICO DOCG ‘LAMA DELL’ARALDO’ 2024
100% Sangiovese from Lamole’s sandy soils
IGT TOSCANA ‘LENNINO’ 2024
70% Sangiovese, 30% Trebbiano/Malvasia according to an old Chianti recipe
‘When is il Pingro coming back?’ is a question that we heard too many times to count. The first drop of Chiara and Margherita’s wine, from the wind-swept shores of Marina di Grosseto and Castiglione della Pescaia, was a delightful surprise for those who weren’t familiar with this corner of Tuscany. Their simple macerato and clear-bottle red were everyone’s favorite last spring and as the weather gets warmer we are pleased to reintroduce them alongside a new addition: a white from 100% Ansonica aged in old wood barrels, just as fresh as their first two wines but with some more depth.
The story of Chiara and Margherita is quite unique for the Italian landscape. Two women, two cousins in fact, who inherited their vineyards from their grandmother.
davide bentivegna,
etna’s rare animal
Davide Bentivegna knows the story of Ulysses on Mount Etna and he likes to recount it as we stroll through his alberello vines.
On the rugged coast below the volcano, Ulysses and his men once sought refuge after years at sea. Above them rose the mountain, smoking and restless, long believed to be the fiery forge of the cyclopes, where the one-eyed giants shaped thunderbolts for Zeus in chambers of molten stone.
It was there, in a cavern carved from black volcanic rock, that they encountered Polyphemus, the fiercest of them all. He led a tranquil life, herding sheep by day and drinking their milk by night, but when these strangers entered his cave, he turned violent. With a boulder rolled across the entrance, Ulysses and his crew were sealed inside, forced to watch as the giant began devouring them one by one.
Ulysses, ever cunning, chose wit over force. He poured the cyclop cup after cup of dark, intoxicating wine — a gift carried from his travels — until his single eye grew heavy and finally closed. In that silence, Ulysses and his men drove a burning stake into the monster’s brow. Responding to his cry, the other cyclopes moved the boulder to come to his help, while, clinging to the bellies of Polyphemus’ sheep, Ulysses and his crew slipped past the stone and out into the light…
Davide snaps out of the story for a moment, as Etna sputters smoke into the air. Fire and myth, he says, remind us that life on this volcano has always demanded intelligence as much as strength: to navigate its smoke-filled craters, boiling lava fields, and its legendary threats, survival required quick thinking, daring, and a sharp mind. It is a mountain that tests all who encounter it, where every triumph — whether escaping a giant or harvesting from its jagged volcanic soils — is earned through wit as much as will.
On the steep terraces that climb up the northern slope of the volcano, as high as 1000 meters above sea level, Davide wanders amidst his vines, greener and lusher than you would expect from a land this warm, like a legendary creature from another time, a rare animal hopping between his several contrade or crus. Davide’s viticulture is careful and tiresome.
Davide’s favorite part of the myth is its ending, the escape. As Ulysses and what remained of his crew reached their ships and began to row to safety, Polyphemus, realizing he had been outwitted, hurled massive boulders into the sea, sending waves crashing around the fleeing ships. Sicilians recognize these boulders in the small ‘Cyclopean Isles’ off the coast of Catania, silent monuments to Ulysses’ life-saving cunning.
Only from a distance could Ulysses look back and take in the vast, smoking slopes of Etna, and comprehend the magnitude of his enterprise, nodding to one of his friends, perhaps, and understanding for the first time the extent of the dangers they had undergone.
It must feel like that sometimes for Davide. Working day after day during growing season on the active volcano, feeling its rumble beneath his steps, hearing it roar and gurgle, sometimes waking in the night to see lava exploding into the night sky and spilling down the slopes, silently hoping it will spare his terraced vines.
And yet, after all the challenges of the season, navigating the mountain’s whims, and coaxing life from the volcanic soil, it is only in the quiet of the cellar — tasting with a friend, perhaps — that he fully realizes the scale of his achievement and the extraordinary gift of crafting wine on Etna for yet another vintage, of being around to taste it yet another year.
2025
harvest
report
GROWING SEASON IS NEVER FREE OF TROUBLE AND ITALY HAS HAD SOME PRETTY CHALLENGING YEARS OF LATE AS FAR AS CLIMATE AND DISEASE ARE CONCERNED, BUT THE YEAR 2025 MAY SURPRISE US WITH A HISTORIC VINTAGE!
Let’s explore it: From North to South…ish.
In Breganze (Veneto), our friends at Rarefratte, Cristian and Arianna, just started harvesting last Sunday. The growing season was smooth up to July 20th, then hail came…followed by a lot of rain. Luckily they didn’t lose too much crop, but the 2025 will probably produce wines that will be low in alcohol and high in acidity…can’t be too mad at that…
Over in Nanto, still in Veneto, Fora is definitely feeling climate change. For the first time ever they started harvest as early as August 20th. Still, the growing season was good: a warm spring, and a very warm June with little rain…maybe too little for the Garganega, which felt the stress in a few plants, while the Tai Rosso didn’t seem to mind. Then, finally, it rained for a whole day (40 mm) on August 2nd “a beautiful slow rain, it felt like fall,” says Giovanni, and then the scorching sun again, giving Fora fully mature and heavy clusters. “The grapes are beautiful,” Giovanni concluded, “with beautiful color and beautiful skin.”
Moving West to Modena, there too, harvest started 15 days earlier than usual. In spite of this, Claudio Plessi is hopeful for what he believes is a promising new vintage. While we wait for this vintage to follow its course, we are about to welcome a shipment of Claudio’s wines to New York this very week. His Lambruscos and other sparklings stole everyone’s heart the first time around (and so did his still reds), and an even larger line-up will be sure to blow you away with its sparkle. More soon…
On to Piemonte. It was a year of experimentation in La Morra at Borgogno Rivata. For the first time, their Arneis, which still hasn’t debuted on the American market, was harvested in two phases: one earlier for higher acidity, and another about 10 days later for fuller ripeness. Winemaker Giovanni Mingolla will be playing with oxidation and aging under flor for this one, but it will take a while before we will be able to bring you the end result of this experiment. On the next shipment from the guys at Borgogno Rivata, however, you can expect a new favorite, Lumas, the latest addition to the Borgogno Rivata line-up: 80% Pelaverga and 20% Dolcetto. Aged in cement only, it is extremely vibrant and crunchy. A perfect option for a fresh red by the glass.
On the other side of La Morra, the growing season held a few challenges, with a hard-to-manage alternation of intense heat and strong rains. Towards the end of the growing season, however, Renato Molino’s vineyards were blessed by some very cold nights, ideal for the ripening of Nebbiolo and promising for the future of their Barolos. While their first shipment to the US, carrying the 2019 vintage will land in the fall, “our fingers are crossed,” says Chiara (Renato’s daughter), for a 2025 that promises low quantities and very high quality.
From Barolo to Barbaresco, Marco Viglino of La Vedetta had a sleepless night last week when a terrible storm swept over their hill, “but fortunately no hail, thank God!,” he told us. Harvest is yet to start, but 2025, says Marco, is definitely promising. A lot of water was left in the soil from last year and thanks to a sunny spring and summer, the grapes were able to ripen well, without any illnesses: “they look just great!” His Barbaresco will come to New York in the fall, and so will his Freisa (yes, exciting!) and his Barbera and…we just can’t wait!
Over in Roero, Lorenzo Negro was happy to be able to work with a few more collaborators in the vineyards this growing season, which allowed him to come to the point of harvest with “some truly stunning plants.” Lorenzo’s wines will land in New York for the first time in the next couple of days, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome to the city the soul of Roero. To some, Roero is still a mystery, but the true connoisseurs of the bel paese are not sleeping on this microregion were Nebbiolo and Arneis DOCGs produce outstanding wines year after year. Lorenzo, who has trained generations of young Roero winemakers, tells us that the 2025 is meeting all the parameters to become one of the "great vintages of Roero.”
In Lazio, just outside of Roma, Riccardo Magno of La Torretta is similarly excited. He tells us that he hasn’t seen grapes as good looking as this year’s in many many years, but, he says….”let’s not jinx it!” The growing season this year did not bring as many challenges as the last, allowing Riccardo, who farms biodinamycally, to reduce treatments to a minimum (only 800gr of copper per hectare). The grapes have been harvested, and Riccardo says, “they are gorgeous, ready to ferment.”
All the way down to Sicily, now, where 2025, Fabio Signorelli tell us, will be a complex year to decipher. Different microregions, and even different vineyards within the same areas, had to face different challenges throughout the growing season. The last couple of years vineyards across the Mediterranean witnessed vicious attacks of pathogenic funghi. This year, the peronosopora first attacked as early as March, but Fabio, who had a hunch, was able to brace his vineyards for impact and save them from a tragic destiny. Then, the heat came, and with it, easier conditions. The grapes now look “crunchy and healthy.” Harvest will start tomorrow for his rosato, while for the reds he will wait until October.
These are just some of the news from the many corners of Italy where our producers are working with, sometimes against, the challenging condition of a fast-changing environment to deliver excellence for yet another year. It is hard to capture the excitement in their voices and their words when they tell us about the year’s adventures…most times, from our New York offices, we just have to wait until we can uncork those time capsules that we call a bottle of wine and sample what it meant to toil, hope, experiment, despair, rejoice, and hardly ever rest for a whole growing season, all the way to harvest.
Here’s to another vintage…in bocca al lupo!