producer profile
30.05.2019
Andrea Bragagni Producer Profile
<p>Though we are huge fans of <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"> </glossary>are completely different than the <glossary title="427">estates</glossary> we work with around <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="172">Bologna</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="762">Parma</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="668">Modena</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1388">Piacenza</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>We discovered Andrea's wines at an excellent seafood restaurant recommended by <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't know, he proposed "Rigogolo", Andrea's <glossary title="617">magnum</glossary> only <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's wines to the US!<br />
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Andrea started making wine in 1998 without any experience in <glossary title="422">oenology</glossary> or <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 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="656">microclimate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Only three <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines are cultivated, all planted by Andrea himself: the white grapes <span class="zalup"><span>(<glossary title="85">Albana</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <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. <br />
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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, <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, intimate affair with the wines <glossary title="441">fermenting</glossary> and <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> and old <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>'s existence.</p>
Article
harvest report
05.01.2023
2023 Harvest Report from Andrea Bragagni
<p>Our <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> celebrates 25 years of activity this year. And we would really have liked to dedicate this <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> to all these years of work and sacrifice, but also to lots of satisfaction!</p>
<p>The beginning of spring was good, the vines started their vegetive cycle well and after <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Flowering" title="1179">flowering</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the <glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunches</glossary> were plentiful, beautiful and well distributed. Then, it arrived with an unprecedented power, the Unexpected: first a flood and then the Landslides. First on May 2nd, then a second, the most devastating, on May 16th and 17th... Everything turned into a river we witnessed an unprecedentedly violent landslide ... it was like nothing we'd ever seen before. </p>
<p>About 30-35% of the vineyards disappeared in the landslides. But for those that remained, it was absolutely impossible to go to the vineyard with a tractor or anything else. In the following weeks we tried to intervene manually with <glossary term="Copper" title="333">copper</glossary> <glossary term="Contact Treatment" title="328">treatments</glossary> to 'save' what remained. But unfortunately, despite all our efforts, 'She' won... <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">Mildew</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> "She' had dried 50-55% of the remaining <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunches</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> At this point, approximately 10% of the total production remains.</p>
<p>And when we think we're at our lowest... on July 13th we were hit by a whirlwind of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Hail" title="1136">hail</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> And there is nothing left... not even a <glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunch</glossary> of grapes to pick.</p>
<p>Being in the worst situation a winemaker can find himself in, I tried and wanted to "see" an opportunity! Just 1.5km from us, on the other side of the hill towards the micro-fraction of Zattaglia where there was no damage, a young farmer who has vineyards of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Albana" title="85">Albana</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Sangiovese" title="911">Sangiovese</glossary> and <glossary term="Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc" title="1043">Trebbiano</glossary> (and obviously does not intervene <glossary term="Chemicals" title="279">chemically</glossary> on the vineyard!), gave us the possibility of selecting grapes and to harvest what encouraged us to 'save' a <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> An opportunity and experimentation that will certainly help us understand the territory and all of its nuances!</p>
<p>In the meantime, in these long months, we have continued the work to restore the road that leads to the house and everything that surrounds the vineyards. You, even without knowing it, have helped us a lot and we will always be grateful for this! There is still a lot to do in the vineyards and unfortunately not everything will be recoverable. But we hold on and remain confident.</p>
Article
harvest report
23.12.2022
2022 Harvest Report from Andrea Bragagni
<p>In the last two years, we have renovated part of the existing existing vineyard and expanded with slightly more than 1⁄2 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> of our plantable land, not only with the varieties already present (<glossary term="Albana" title="85">Albana</glossary> and <glossary term="Sangiovese" title="911">Sangiovese</glossary>), but also with two new <glossary term="Indigenous" title="1139">autochthonous</glossary> grapes, both novelties of sorts. The first is called <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Verruccese" title="1470">Verruccese</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> a red grape planted two years ago of which we <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary> the first grapes this year. The vines are originally from Verrucchio (Rimini), but almost unknown. Currently there are a few hectares in all of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Emilia-Romagna" title="420">Romagna</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> These produce a red with intense color, good fruit and excellent <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Acidity" title="71">acidity</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>The second, planted last spring, is called Montuni, a white grape which for several years we have studied and tasted. We like it a lot, and feel it gives very refined results. In 2023 we should pick the vines' first fruits... We'll see!</p>
<p>The 2022 <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> came after a very hot summer, with a few scarce rains and fortunately no <glossary term="Hail" title="1136">hail</glossary> unlike some areas very close to us! The good temperature difference between night and day, in addition to the fact we are <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">exposed</glossary> North/North-East, helped the plants produce grapes in good quantity and quality, full of freshness and fruit. </p>
<p>We began <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvesting</glossary> in the first days of September, though on average others started earlier... We waited, hoping to get just a bit of rain (which finally arrived!) so that the grapes could flesh out a little and find more organoleptic/chemical balance. In the end, even with a little "suffering" we are very satisfied with the wines we have in the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>P.S: another new entry in 2022. We have vinified a sparkling, <glossary term="Secondary Fermentation" title="938">re-fermented</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc" title="1043">Trebbiano</glossary><span>!</span></span></span> It's called "La Bolla di Gustavo"!</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/a5/4c/a54cb1f502cc872968371cbcfb3b215b.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/d5/03/d503e4de6637066a8a8be9d8f9381739.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/57/33/573366ec9bf772c0f224db814d63fed0.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/fc/96/fc9671f38dbd3636ee6d00ad2411a6be.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/31/00/31004781b880d9452f7ca8daeedc5e0c.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/fd/12/fd12ae3cba276a8dc61a47af6453a631.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/39/50/3950936847e7e2591b37cb005dd1b44e.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/5c/8b/5c8b315cfb5892bad5e88c6e2394829b.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/e5/d9/e5d97c10102bdaa8e643f2f518402740.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/7c/4c/7c4cd6097c9cdc1338f90b733aa77762.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/71/d9/71d94e995c0628b2ec0855a5d948b922.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//949/45/3d/453d757fdeebe49dfe66f5dac38da941.jpg" /></p>
Article
harvest report
08.12.2021
2021 Harvest Report from Andrea Bragagni
<p>The 2021 season started with a cool spring that went on with temperatures below normal until the beginning of June. Then the heat arrived for all of July and August, never leaving us alone and with little, scattered rain. However, the weather at <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> was continually nice. The ripening of the grapes, both red and white, began immediately and was a bit earlier than last year. The grapes are qualitatively very healthy and fine. In quantity on the other hand we are at about 30% less than 2020, unfortunately because it was so cool for so long in the spring. In fact, in general for other fruits, like olives, the harvests quantities are lower overall.</p>
<p>In our opinion the wines are of good quality, fresh and persistent. A year similar to 2019. We include some photos.</p>
<p>Valeria and Andrea Bragnani,</p>
<p><br />
<img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//903/ff/2a/ff2a8e0323ea0dd27408bdd44970f1cd.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//903/19/c3/19c36f638a6f98a2c2843b9ee5f0cd13.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//903/41/75/41751c1a42cce1043040e3507b8cea4c.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//903/75/ed/75ed211f08cc0b46e24593c53f20de12.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//903/54/b1/54b16142a4743a50b07b27c1eddd153f.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//903/48/c9/48c939e784f55288418d0fa464b95f86.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//903/e8/f3/e8f3dd905746f91414e8f19eee3d6fec.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//903/04/b6/04b6739e3651b4dd3b51ad6118adb6b4.jpg" /></p>
Article
harvest report
19.01.2020
2020 Harvest Report from Andrea Bragagni
<p><u><strong>November 8th, 2020:</strong></u></p>
<p>The 2020 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> started with a rainy spring that finally enriched the soil with water after a winter with little rain and little snow. The vines (even the youngest ones) responded with an excellent <glossary term="Flowering" title="1179">flowering</glossary> which turned into an abundant production of healthy <glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunches</glossary> in the <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary><span>!</span></span></span> The summer fluctuated quite a bit but in a balanced way, with high temperatures on some days, significant drops in others. The result brought us a rich <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> of healthy, pulpy and fragrant grapes!</p>
<p>We were also very lucky because, unlike some nearby areas hit several times by <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Hail" title="1136">hail</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> we never got touched! Even during the <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which began on September 5th with <glossary term="Albana" title="85">Albana</glossary> and ended on October 1st with <glossary term="Sangiovese" title="911">Sangiovese</glossary> (obviously interspersed with days off), it was done with a mild and dry climate.</p>
<p>Let's say that for us, a year that was terrible and very difficult for everyone will also be remembered for something positive: the 2020 <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary><span>!</span></span></span> It's a quality/quantity ratio that we had not been seen in years and years... I will send you a series of emails with pictures. Even from the photos you can appreciate how beautiful and healthy the grapes were!</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/41/65/4165772f5d00acf03212990aa58efcca.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/28/00/2800246f9b2924cb815dd5a688e31340.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/03/43/0343af732f413b3087f02b95f9019dbb.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/cf/c6/cfc6e894850c56483e1b7cd0761140e6.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/46/08/4608bf7646ed1f00cc94577995a1a60b.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/e2/e7/e2e76321f8027c12022f6f5d55817bc8.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/a1/c1/a1c1b420ab39c94bfedd0b03780a03ca.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/2f/2c/2f2cadeb23c91e086a9b7d900b401cf7.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/f5/57/f557df2102de222524fcfc27e6ddf48b.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/19/fd/19fd76c7643d7f48596dd6a725a46762.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/86/41/8641b5aacf1b6480e01384c6f7b58b4a.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/5c/07/5c07bcaff134e75ba7fd096a28d7cfef.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/7a/59/7a593055e1468fa0de5d8ca19ec9f4d2.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/c3/02/c302fa3b2fe4d755788fe37cf784e5f5.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/0d/9e/0d9e5833bd17ee2e2f219158f3b6bc55.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/e0/40/e0407960e8d1c9a150edb3e7964742b8.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//865/fe/85/fe85693a10ebe148067680d945ecee26.jpg" /></p>
Article
harvest report
28.04.2019
2019 Harvest Report from Andrea Bragagni
<p><strong><em>Words by Andrea Bragagni, October 6th, 2019.</em></strong></p>
<p>This year we had a spring where May was particularly cold and, moreover, rainy so that there was a lot of work constantly monitoring the plants in order to intervene when necessary with <glossary title="333">copper</glossary> (against <glossary title="1137">downy mildew</glossary>) as precisely as possible.</p>
<p>The summer followed, alternating between hot and notably low temperatures with the right amount of rain for the vineyards. Unfortunately though, in the month of July, we were hit with a <glossary title="1136">hailstorm</glossary> that caused damage to about 20% of the grapes. </p>
<p>All of this came with a <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> of slow <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturation</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> mainly because after August 15th many nights were already cold and slowed the ripening (but certainly helped the <glossary title="120">aromatics</glossary>).</p>
<p>The <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> started the 4th of September (a couple of weeks later compared to the previous years) with pauses in between and finished on the 6th of October. </p>
<p>Quantity wise, we had a smaller <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> then past few years, around 40% less. In the <glossary term="-Select term-" title="">cellar</glossary> we have <glossary title="700">must</glossary> <glossary title="441">fermenting</glossary> with lower grades of alcohol but good <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>…fresh and elegant aromas…a velvety year. </p>
<p>Here are some photos.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//d5/0d/d50dfc2b818b0722fbf60833e9042697.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//e5/f6/e5f6365f411fcb4e2b9eb9b0c32445dd.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//49/b3/49b32548670c54b09c04905f33a7fab3.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//be/dd/beddd13af4bad0d1cba0ef9706c6e39a.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//a5/67/a567e1878493806442c0bb7dda573eb0.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//68/61/68612d858537c67a2ff413bf2ee3b429.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//a2/a2/a2a28049d2d9284ec52db336aa529278.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//47/c7/47c7ab537eba062decd6556419c7ab64.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//90/2c/902cbcc213a75d156b70dd0c62a67d0a.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//7b/7d/7b7d18266988c76b7939a9588df1987b.jpg" /><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Apr_28//a6/7d/a67da31d233cae314b07e9275b046e6a.jpg" /></p>
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