producer profile

<p>Though we are huge fans of&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="420">Emilia-Romagna</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> this is actually our first <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> from Romagna, the southern part of the region. The soils, grapes and <glossary title="656">microclimates</glossary><glossary title="656">&nbsp;</glossary>are completely different than the <glossary title="427">estates</glossary> we work with around&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="172">Bologna</glossary><span>,</span></span></span>&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="762">Parma</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="668">Modena</glossary> and&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1388">Piacenza</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p> <p>We discovered Andrea&#39;s wines at an excellent seafood restaurant recommended by&nbsp;<a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/Dotorri/">Corrado Dottori of La Distesa</a>. After striking a rapport with the owner and asking for something we didn&#39;t know, he proposed &quot;Rigogolo&quot;, Andrea&#39;s <glossary title="617">magnum</glossary> only&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="185">bottling</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We were blown away by its texture and purity. It took us over a year to track him down, but we are now bringing in limited quantities of Andrea&#39;s wines to the US!<br /> <br /> Andrea started making wine in 1998 without any experience in <glossary title="422">oenology</glossary> or&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> His farm is upstream of the medieval village of Brisighella, in the village of Fognano. Spread over 25 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> at an altitude of 350 meters, the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> is nestled in a valley surrounded by natural forest, preserving its unique&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="656">microclimate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Only three&nbsp;<glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>&nbsp;of vines are cultivated, all planted by Andrea&nbsp;himself:&nbsp;the white grapes&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span>(<glossary title="85">Albana</glossary><span>,</span></span></span>&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1251">Famoso</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="1043">Trebbiano</glossary>) in 1999 and the reds (<glossary title="911">Sangiovese</glossary> and <glossary title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary>) in 2000. A small new plantation of <glossary title="85">Albana</glossary> was planted in 2017 and the <glossary title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> was <glossary title="500">re-grafted</glossary> with <glossary title="911">Sangiovese</glossary> in 2018.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> The wines are the result of diligent work done in the vines throughout the year, with <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> kept very low to focus on the quality of the fruit. <glossary title="909">Sandy</glossary> <glossary title="1032">top-soil</glossary> quickly gives way to rocky,&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="596">limestone</glossary><span>-</span></span></span>rich <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> called Galestro. For whites, the <glossary title="1139">indigenous</glossary> <glossary title="85">Albana</glossary> and <glossary title="1251">Famoso</glossary> grapes are championed, for reds <glossary title="911">Sangiovese</glossary> and small amounts of <glossary title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> (these are much more traditional here due to the proximity to <glossary title="1055">Tuscany</glossary>). The <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> is a small,&nbsp;intimate affair&nbsp;with the wines <glossary title="441">fermenting</glossary> and <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> and old&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span> <glossary title="142">tonneaux</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> often with long <glossary title="610">macerations</glossary> for both the whites and the reds. Andrea has never used <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> at any point in the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>&#39;s existence.</p>