Agricola Ficomontanino

Italy

Maria Sole took over the winery about 10 years ago, after her degree in Gastronomic Sciences at the Slow Food University. She began exploring some natural farming methods on the vineyard and the olive groves, and with time found herself comfortable with Fukuoka’s approach (minimum intervention, natural grass around the plants) and with Biodynamics (especially for the way plants react to the preparations). At the winery, Maria also farms cereals and breeds horses.

The farm is called Ficomontanino (roughly, “Little Fig Mountain”), a property Maria’s grandfather acquired in the 1960s as a place to produce olive oil and to breed horses. Situated in the far southeast of the region near the town of Chiusi, Ficomontanino is administratively part of Tuscany, but geographically and spiritually it speaks to both Umbria and Lazio, both of whose borders are mere kilometres away. From her 12 hectares of vines, planted at around 350 meters altitude on the south-facing slopes of her family’s property, one can see Lake Trasimeno in Umbria to the east, the mountains of northern Lazio to the south, and the rolling hills of Siena to the northwest.

Over the years Maria managed to use less copper and sulphur to protect the plants from diseases, preferring resistance activators and stimulating the plants by pruning on the roots, selecting natural herbs that better adapt to the vines, and biodynamic preparations. Every cru ferments naturally, Maria only adds a bit of sulphur on the grapes to avoid any microbiological chaos that could interfere with the elegance of the wines. She mainly use steel and concrete for each parcel and just recently introduced clay amphoras and wood for the fermentations. Maria “cleans” the wines by natural deposit, without filtration. In spite of the artisanal nature of the work she likes to be precise, substituting the lack of technology with great care in each gesture she does.

Wines

Zacinta Revi · Profile

Chemical-free, biodynamic farming, following Fukuoka principles and lunar phases which was introduced by Maria Sole Giannelli. The strikingly unusual label on this bottle of a woman sitting reading with yellow broom flowers instead of a head (all her bottles have great labels) was designed by an illustrator from Milan called Anna Neudecker. The meaning is that wine is made by people – therefore the human figure on all the labels – but their heads represent the terroir (the broom flowers grow wild around the vineyards). Artisanal wine is also knowledge, hence the book. This is a blend of Sauvignon blanc, Trebbiano, Grechetto, Sangiovese from two vineyards: Poggio alle Ficaie and Vigna Campaccio. 21-year-old vines on clay and chalk. The Sauvignon and Sangiovese are vinified as white wines, the Trebbiano and Grechetto are macerated for 20 days on skins. All spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel. Aged in cement vats for six months. Unfiltered and unfined. Convincing depth and texture. An exciting, unusual wine, vibrating at the speed of light. Total production: 5,200 bottles

SKU 876280

Click Here To Find Where to Buy

Zacinta Revi · Pairing

A refreshing white wine with great depth and complexity. It will benefit from opening about 30 minutes prior to serving. Pairs well with grilled fish, seafood, and white meat dishes.

Noble Kara Rosé · Profile

The unusual label is a black and white sketch of a woman watering the soil, her head is half a red pomegranate and her ankles and feet are roots going into the ground.The human figure represents the human element, her ‘head’ the pomegranate trees growing wild around their vineyards, and the watering can the care and nurture an artisan grower puts into her vineyards. 100% Sangiovese from vines aged 16 to 31 years old on sand and clay. 24 hours’ maceration on skins. Pressed and then spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel. Aged in stainless steel for six months. Unfiltered and unfined. 5,500 bottles made. In the words of Jancis Robinson:

“Wow. Just wow. This deep rosehip orange-pink rosé is a head-back, throat- to-the-sky, shout-of-song celebration of life. It’s dry and fine-knit with cashmere texture that alludes to tannins with a feather in the air. It’s impishly fun, but it’s very, very far from simple. Outstanding rosé, in fact.”

SKU 834527

Click Here To Find Where to Buy

Noble Kara Rosé · Pairing

With its complexity and plethora of flavour sensations, this versatile rosé wine pairs well with a huge variety of dishes, as long as they will stand up to the wine’s own character.

Bulgarelli Rosso · Profile

100% Sangiovese, farmed organically and biodynamically. 20- to 30-year-old vines from three parcels: Melogranino, Ficonmontano and Campo Cavalli on sand and clay soils. Hand-picked. Spontaneous fermentation after short skin maceration in cement and steel vats for 12 to 15 days. Aged six months in cement. Unfiltered, unfined. Total production: 10,000 bottles.

Complex berry aromas and flavours are complemented by well-integrated, ripe tannins. A little on the ‘natural wine’ spectrum but packed with clean, sweet, earthy, charming fruit.

SKU 834526

Click Here To Find Where to Buy

Bulgarelli Rosso · Pairing

This wine pairs well with traditional red sauce/ ragu pasta dishes, grilled meats, and medium ripe cheese.

Mondeuse · Profile

Mondeuse is a fun and easy-drinking red wine that originated in the French Alpine region of Savoie. It is often overlooked and a bit underrated, yet a hymn to joy and conviviality. 100% Mondeuse, farmed organically and biodynamically. 10- to 20-year-old vines on sand and clay soils. Hand-picked. Spontaneous fermentation after short skin maceration in cement and steel vats for 12 to 15 days. Aged six months in cement. Unfiltered, unfined. Very limited production.

SKU 894008

Click Here To Find Where to Buy

Mondeuse · Pairing

The wine’s bold flavours stand up beautifully to the intensity of a well-curated cheese board, as well as charcuterie, which elevate the wine’s earthy and spicy notes. The agile and lively tannins, the great elegance and the delicacy of the spicy aromas make it a delightful companion to a variety of meats, such as beef fillet, rabbit, roasted poultry, and roasted lamb. Yet the wine’s versatile character, the acidity and tannins complement very well also vegetarian dishes like ratatouille, eggplant parmigiana, and any mushroom dish.

Granomelo · Profile

100% Sangiovese, farmed organically and biodynamically. 20-year-old vines from the Melogranino vineyard on sand, silt and clay. Spontaneous fermentation, skin maceration in cement for 2 days, soft pressing. 24 months in cement. Total production: 2,500 bottles.

Given a chance to open up, this red wine displays red forest fruit on the nose, gritty and gravelly on the palate. The fruit shining quietly, pure and ruby, through a lattice lace of very dry, ripe tannins, wild herbs and spice.

SKU 876284

Click Here To Find Where to Buy

Granomelo · Pairing

Superb with roasted lamb and grilled steak. It will appreciate all un-showy comfort food.