Latium between tradition and modernity

If we exclude the Cesanese lands, Lazio has always been known for white wines. We point out two, a classic Est! Est!!! Est!!!, from traditional blends, and an ancient wine, a Malvasia Puntinata, with a modern appellation: the Roma Doc.

With the first wine we find ourselves in Tuscia, in the province of Viterbo, and historical evidence reassures us that wine has been produced there since Etruscan times without interruption to the present day. Among the stories told to those who approach Italian wine is precisely that of the name of this wine, Est! Est!!! Est!!! di Montefiascone, where the writing "est" (= there is) was meant to indicate the presence of good wine, hence the repeated iteration to indicate that the wine was excellent. It was the "code" established in 1111 between a lord who came to Italy in the retinue of Emperor Henry V and his servant. This ancient wine is made, by specification, from Trebbiano Toscano (locally known as Procanico), Trebbiano Giallo (locally known as Rossetto or Roscetto), Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Malvasia del Lazio, alone with a small balance of other white grapes.

Ancient tradition has failed to preserve the quality of the wine, as has often been the case in historically well-known Italian areas, but the Cotarella family offers one that is truly delicious. Neither brothers Renzo and Riccardo Cotarella nor the colossus created between Lazio and Umbria need any introduction. There are many wines (and successes) from this winery founded in 1979 in Montefiascone. Now, after nearly thirty-five years, management has passed into the hands of the new female generation, that of Dominga, Riccardo's daughter, and Enrica and Marta, Renzo's daughters, while technical direction is firmly in the hands of Pierpaolo Chiasso.

The second wine, on the other hand, originates in the territory of a young appellation, the Rome DOC, and is produced by a young winery established on what was once a 17th-century farm estate. It is located right in front of the Sanctuary of Divine Love, on Via Ardeatina, and is one of the rare vineyards located in the municipality of Rome. The very young Dario Diana is in charge of it, with the collaboration of a very experienced oenologist, Lorenzo Costantini. For now the production is small, but it is growing as more vineyards come into production.

The variety chosen for this wine is Malvasia Puntinata, more commonly called Malvasia del Lazio and often mistakenly confused with Malvasia di Candia and Malvasia del Chianti. Its remarkable susceptibility to most vine diseases has prompted many producers to replace it with the more resistant but lower quality Malvasia di Candia. Today, this varietal is gradually being replanted, and it is not uncommon to find great wines made exclusively from this type of Malvasia, such as this one we report.

In the spirit of this column, find both wines offered at a great price: 10 euros. Click on the name to read the wine sheet.

• Famiglia Cotarella, Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone Poggio dei Gelsi 2021
• Capizucchi Winery, Roma Malvasia Puntinata Mater Divini Amoris 2019

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