Camillo Donati

Lambrusco & Malvasia from Camillo Donati

Camillo Donati Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Camillo Donati
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Country	Italy
Proprietor	Camillo Donati
Size	11.5 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Clay
Grapes grown	Lambrusco, Barbera, Malvasia, Trebbiano, Sauvignon Blanc
Fun facts	Before taking over his family estate, Camillo worked in a salumi processing factory.

Before taking over his family estate, Camillo worked in a salumi processing factory.

Name of Estate	Camillo Donati
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Country	Italy
Proprietor	Camillo Donati
Size	11.5 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Clay
Grapes grown	Lambrusco, Barbera, Malvasia, Trebbiano, Sauvignon Blanc
Fun facts	Before taking over his family estate, Camillo worked in a salumi processing factory.

Get to know
Camillo Donati

producer profile 03.06.2019

Camillo Donati Producer Profile

The Donati <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> was started in 1930 and now run by its third generation-- Camillo, his wife and their children. They cultivate 11.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines (7.5 of which they own as Tenuta S. Andrea and four which are leased at Tenuta Bottazza) using <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> and <glossary title="160">biodynamic</glossary> practices. They are about 20 km away from <glossary title="762">Parma</glossary> in the hillside at an altitude of around 250m with an eastern <glossary title="430">exposition</glossary>. There are a number of diverse <glossary title="1169">strains</glossary> of the <glossary title="577">Lambrusco</glossary> grape family, but the main one of the <glossary title="762">Parma</glossary> zone is "<glossary title="577">Lambrusco</glossary> Maestri" and it is planted on flat plains because of its characteristic resistance to humidity and <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary>, and also for its relative abundant fruit. For this reason, the Donati do a severe <glossary title="834">pruning</glossary> to produce low <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> of better quality. The <glossary title="1297">Malvasia di Candia</glossary> is historically from Crete, arriving in this part of Italy many centuries ago, and it is also one of the oldest known grapes. Up until 30-50 years ago, it was only <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> in sweet and <glossary title="386">demi-sec</glossary> style, but Donati now makes both a <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> and sweet <glossary title="623">Malvasia</glossary>.  The range of vines at the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> also include aromatic <glossary title="927">Sauvignon Blanc</glossary>, <glossary title="688">Moscato Giallo</glossary>, <glossary title="460">Fortana</glossary>, <glossary title="175">Croatina</glossary> and <glossary title="138">Barbera</glossary>. They also have a little <glossary title="1043">Trebbiano</glossary>, <glossary title="801">Pinot Blanc</glossary>, <glossary title="650">Merlot</glossary> and <glossary title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary>. Most of the grapes are <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> and <glossary title="185">bottled</glossary> separately. All the grapes, including the white, are <glossary title="441">fermented</glossary> like red wines (with <glossary title="610">skin contact</glossary>), without <glossary title="1018">temperature control</glossary>, <glossary title="538">native yeasts</glossary>, no <glossary title="449">fining</glossary>, no <glossary title="70">acidification</glossary> or <glossary title="377">de-acidification</glossary>, no added <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary>, etc... They make a "<glossary title="623">Malvasia</glossary> Dolce" (sweet) from a stopped <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary> by using a sack <glossary title="447">filter</glossary> and it remains at about 4-6% alcohol with a bit of natural sweetness balanced by acidity. The other wines are <glossary title="441">fermented</glossary> <glossary title="405">dry</glossary>, including the <glossary title="577">Lambrusco</glossary>. The carbonation of these <glossary title="471">frizzante</glossary> wines comes from the traditional method of <glossary title="938">refermentation</glossary> in bottle, a method that does not require preservatives and which makes this wine, unlike those produced in <glossary title="272">charmat</glossary> method, <glossary title="74">age</glossary> better. The wines are not <glossary title="447">filtered</glossary> and are topped with a <glossary title="359">crown cap</glossary>, a traditional closure for some decades in this region. There may be resulting <glossary title="939">sediment</glossary> and the bottles should be poured somewhat carefully without a lot of intense movement.  These are very delicate and <glossary title="708">natural wines</glossary> that have immense glugability and unique character. They are meant to be drunk simply as you would a refreshing beer or cider at cold temperature (even the red) with simple foods. They go particularly well with cold cuts, prosciutto and dry sausages and gnocco – fried squares of dough – that are traditional in <glossary title="762">Parma</glossary>.

interview 03.06.2019

An interview with Camillo Donati from 2011

This interview with Camillo Donati took place in his tasting room in November, 2011. It was conducted by Kevin Mckenna, and translated by Pietro Straccia. Tell us about your estate.  We are located 300 meters above sea level, 30 miles south of <glossary title="762">Parma</glossary>. Our vines are planted in RITOCCHINO and <glossary title="518">guyot</glossary>. We have about 4000 plants per <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary>, mainly planted with <glossary title="623">Malvasia</glossary>, <glossary title="577">Lambrusco Maestri</glossary>, <glossary title="138">Barbera</glossary>, <glossary title="927">Sauvignon</glossary>, <glossary title="1043">Trebbiano</glossary>, <glossary title="460">Fortana</glossary> and <glossary title="175">Croatina</glossary>. These are the major grapes. In total we work 12 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines: 7.5 of our property and four are rented.  We practice natural <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, but go beyond being just <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> and <glossary title="160">biodynamic</glossary> in the sense that there are zero <glossary title="279">chemicals</glossary> in the vineyards and zero <glossary title="279">chemicals</glossary> in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. We produce sparkling wines with a natural <glossary title="938">secondary fermentation</glossary> in bottle, as per our local tradition. Sparkling (<glossary title="471">frizzante</glossary>) wines were born in <glossary title="420">Emilia</glossary> because of our traditions of very rich, fatty cuisine. Pork, salumi, Parmiggiano Reggiano, butter: that’s how the <glossary title="471">frizzante</glossary> style originated, as a way to cleanse the <glossary title="756">palate</glossary> and help digest the fatty foods. Bubbles help with that process noticeably. You continue to work traditionally, but today this is quite rare in your area... Sparkling wines had been made the same way for centuries, but in the 1970's everyone started producing <glossary title="471">frizzante</glossary> wines with the <glossary title="272">charmat</glossary> method. I believe that <glossary title="272">charmat</glossary> kills the wine. A dead wine goes into the bottle, and many, many preservatives are needed to keep the wine going for six or seven months. On the other hand, a natural <glossary title="471">frizzante</glossary> wine can last 10, 15, 20 years. Logically, you will no longer have predominant fruit after the three or four years where the secondary and tertiary aromas surface, but the wine is alive and it <glossary title="74">ages</glossary> and matures slowly, just like we do. If I kill a wine beforehand just so that I don’t have <glossary title="939">sediments</glossary> or to have a clear wine, then what is the point? <glossary title="272">Charmat</glossary> is a dead wine that cannot go beyond six months to a year. After that it becomes undrinkable because it's dead. A <glossary title="279">chemical</glossary> preservative is not capable of sustaining something dead. What's the work in the vines like? I use <glossary title="160">biodynamics</glossary> as a means to re-balance my vines, but only if they need it. I don't work the vines this way year in, year out. I'm a Christian, not an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthroposophy">anthroposophic</a>. I use <glossary title="160">biodynamics</glossary> simply as a tool to balance my vines if, for example, a <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary> storm or a similar event were to occur. In cases where the grapes' <glossary title="787">photosynthesis</glossary> can be really compromised, I stimulate the soil with <glossary title="149">501 cow horn silica</glossary>. But if everything is going smoothly, I don't add anything.  I’m convinced that <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> is made in the vineyard and not <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. The viticulturist should be so careful as to obtain the most balanced vines in the environment in which they live. There is no <glossary title="160">biodynamic</glossary> or natural recipe that works the same everywhere; everything depends on where the vine lives. <glossary title="656">Microclimate</glossary>, land, soil... For example, we have very rich <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> soils with a very high <glossary title="783">PH</glossary>, and get a lot of water stress in the summer months. We try to make sure that the vines are healthy in our environment, and if you can get as close as possible to this, then even younger vines will be able to produce incredible fruit. Did you always work in the wine sector or do you have another occupation? How did you find your way into wine? I started <glossary title="1089">vignaioli</glossary> work in 1992, but before that I used to work as an employee in a Salumificio (salame, sausage factory). My father had one <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary> of land that my grandfather had planted for family use. But doing this was probably in my blood and DNA because I love nature. That’s why it has been a lifelong decision. I thank God to be able to do what I do because every day I’m in contact with the vines. I can’t wait to go in the vineyard. I always hope to spend as much time as possible in the vineyard. I believe the winemaker is an integral part of his wine, his vines, and his environment. Kevin, if you came to cultivate my vineyard and into my <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> you would make a different wine, because you are Kevin and I am Camillo. How do you feel about the term "natural wine"?  I have made a life decision. The first thing I commit to is to make a <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary>. But natural and drinkability must go hand in hand. A <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> shouldn’t be an excuse to have wines with bad odors or <glossary title="453">flaws</glossary>. <glossary title="708">Natural wine</glossary> should be good. One thing should never be at the expense of the other. Nature without compromises: It’s a way of life. Can you tell us about your involvment in Vinnatur?  <a href="http://www.vinnatur.org/">Vinnatur</a> was born from the split of the Vini Veri group. In fact, the last Vini Veri assembly we had as a group was in this room. That day, <a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/Maule/">Angiolino Maule</a> resigned as president.  I decided to follow him, but I still remain friends with everybody. I followed him because I believe, like myself, that he puts a lot of love and passion in his <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> work and leaves the commercial aspect out of Vinnatur. Vinnatur is a community of wine growers established to grow together, where everyone involved can bring in their experiences and technical knowledge to share with everyone else. Therefore, together we can improve, experiment and always move forward towards natural and quality production. Each individual winery takes care of their own commercial work: in this way the association is not molded as a commercial entity, and that is exactly what has always divided similar groups. But Angiolino has always gone his own way, and I followed him. I’m very happy because up until now, Vinnatur has been a very dynamic association with many experiments being done, some of which I am part of. We are now working on a new experiment to eliminate or at least greatly reduce <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> and <glossary title="333">copper</glossary> treatments in the vineyards. We already use these (<glossary title="333">copper</glossary>/<glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary>) in a way that there are no traces in the wine, but we are experimenting and trying other products that one day will eliminate the use of <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> and <glossary title="333">copper</glossary>. This excites me a lot because one should never stop trying to better themselves.

producer visit 17.07.2019

This visit with Camillo Donati took place in November, 2011

This visit with Camillo Donati took place in November, 2011. Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Alex Finberg. We began our visit at Camillo's new <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, which conveniently overlooks his vines. After tasting some 2011 <glossary title="1008">tank samples</glossary>, Camillo kindly explained his <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary> process.  Everything begins in an old <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tank</glossary> from 1968 that originally belonged to Camillo's mentor Ovidio (the "Ovidio" <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>, made with <glossary title="342">Corvina</glossary> grapes, is named after him).  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//0f/60/0f6045cc6e8907ebd5431a7b3e8646e9.jpg" /> The <glossary title="1140">tank</glossary> has only ever been washed with hot water, and has accumulated over 40 years of <glossary title="1012">tartaric</glossary> deposits. It's one of the secrets in Camillo's process. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//1f/dd/1fdd24c690a741839c355ad3c8f211e7.jpg" /> In this <glossary title="1140">tank</glossary> he makes a <glossary title="792">pied de cuve</glossary> for each <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary>. The juice remains in this <glossary title="1140">tank</glossary> for a maximum of three days for the whites and seven days for the reds. The rest of the grapes are then <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary>, <glossary title="378">destemmed</glossary>, <glossary title="827">pressed</glossary> and placed in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary title="1140">vats</glossary> on the skins to <glossary title="610">macerate</glossary>. After <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary>, he <glossary title="843">racks</glossary> off the <glossary title="515">gross lees</glossary> but keeps the <glossary title="448">fine lees</glossary>, as they are essential for the wines to <glossary title="938">referment</glossary> in bottle. If the <glossary title="853">residual sugar</glossary> is where he wants it to be (12-18 grams per liter), he leaves the wines as is before <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>. But since Camillo lets them reach their maximum <glossary title="87">alcoholic fermentation</glossary>, the wines are often <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> so he <glossary title="168">blends</glossary> it with his "<glossary title="623">Malvasia</glossary> Dolce".  This is the traditional way to make Emilia-Romagna <glossary title="471">frizzante</glossary>. But almost all producers in the area now use <glossary title="272">charmat</glossary> method, which for Camillo completely defies the purpose of making this style of wine in the first place: "Those who have settled for <glossary title="272">charmat</glossary> are missing out on the beauty of life and have settled for monotony."  We then checked out the vines, which have all been planted by Camillo in <glossary title="518">guyot</glossary> on heavy <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> soils.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//e4/3a/e43a75ef0084d7e9008bcdd717bc1a9e.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//5b/c4/5bc4be2996ab5beed6bc2c0a0876595c.jpg" /> We ended the visit by tasting the 2010's, which took longer than usual to <glossary title="938">referment</glossary> and have just been released (they should just be getting to the States). We tasted the only way one should when drinking Donati: alongside local panchetta and aged Parmesan (a 24 month, a five year and a 10 year). The 2010's are spot on, particularly the "<glossary title="623">Malvasia</glossary> Rosa" (with 5% <glossary title="138">Barbera</glossary> for color) and the very lively, fresh <glossary title="577">Lambrusco</glossary>.