Italiano
The many faces of Aglianico
The story of Fabrizio Piccin and Cecilia Naldoni is a lovely one. It began many years ago when they first got involved in raising sheep and then in making wine. The path they took was an unusual one for their generation yet one which over the years, thanks to their intuitions and determination, proved a winning one and produced many satisfying results. Although they were natives of the Lazio region, from hills around Frascati near Rome, they sought their fortune in Montepulciano where they created their estate Salcheto, named after a stream that marked the boundary of their property. The quality of the estate’s wines improved rapidly with some excellent results and soon they were among the best in the area. Due to the great interest in their estate, they decided to sell it at the end of the 1990s and to embark on another adventure, after first taking a couple of years off to dedicate to raising their three children.
At the start of the new millennium, Fabrizio and Cecilia became enthralled with Vulture and its principle grape, Aglianico, which for different reasons is as alluring and difficult as Sangiovese. Setting up a new estate, Grifalco, was a technical challenge for Fabrizio but he knew he could count on his wife’s communication and marketing skills. Vulture is going through a positive period and some prodigal sons have returned to grow grapes and make wine in their native land, people like Elena Fucci and the notary Gerardo Giuratraboccheti of Cantina del Notaio fame. Important groups have also been attracted to Vulture including GIV which has acquired land and vineyards there, convinced the area has great potential.
Grifalco has some 15 hectares of vineyards in the most suited zones of Vulture, some in the town of Venosa and others in Ginestra and Maschito, a real Vulture cru. Their grapes are certified organic and each parcel is vinified separately due to its terroir and the age of the vines. This because even if the winery is young, some of their vineyards were pre-existing and were acquired because they were old.
The winery is air conditioned naturally though a lovely system that is both functional and has a low environmental impact. Two of the three children work at the estate in different roles. Lorenzo is involved primarily in the vineyard and the winery, while the younger Andrea is more interested in the business side. Francesca, for the moment, has decided to dedicate herself to the needy and is working through European institutions.
Grifalco produces four wines and all are made from Aglianico, the only grape cultivated at the estate. The difference between them will be clear in this tasting.
