producer profile
31.05.2019
Maria Ernesta Berucci Producer Profile
<p>Maria Ernesta Berucci is a young woman from the gorgeous Hernican town of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="796">Piglio</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> about an hour southeast of Rome at the foot of the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1282">Apennine mountains</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Vines have always been in her father's family, the Massimi Berucci, and at one time her father Manfredi owned as much as 30 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="523">hectares</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Manfredi was the head of the <glossary title="252">Cantina Cooperativa</glossary> di <glossary title="796">Piglio</glossary> from the early 1960's up until 1972. In 2004, he created a new entity called Emme and almost all of the family vines transferred to this group with the exception of a beautiful, 1.5 <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary> vineyard of more than 50-year-old vines, grown in <glossary title="774">pergola</glossary> adjacent to their home in the countryside of Colli Santi (holy hills).</p>
<p>In 2009, Maria and her brother decided it was time to revive the family's roots and produced a wine from this vineyard site called "l'Onda" (the wave) as it announced the next wave of winemakers in the Massimi family. Slowly they have been recuperating some of the family's historic <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> and renting other quality sites. Berucci is looking especially for <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary> planted in <strong><em><glossary title="261">Cesanese di affile</glossary></em></strong>, a <glossary title="1169">strain</glossary> which produces a noticeably smaller, less compact<strong> <glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary></strong> than the vine known as <em><strong><glossary title="261">Cesanese Commune</glossary></strong>.</em> They now are working 2.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines. <br />
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The Berrucis also run an <glossary title="79">agriturismo</glossary> in the heart of <glossary title="796">Piglio's</glossary> medieval old city. Maria's mother, who is from Montenegro, is the chef and her food is delicious. Her father, a true country poet and raconteur, entertains guests with stories of local history, folklore and the vines. His knowledge of the area and it's <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> history is remarkable. <br />
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The <glossary title="1337">Cesanese del Piglo</glossary> <glossary title="1156">DOC</glossary> was conferred in 1973 and it is considered one of the legendary grapes of central Italy, capable of making very tasty, long-lived and versatile wines. It was elevated to <glossary title="396">DOCG</glossary> status more recently. The soils in the delineated area are rocky <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> with a good deal of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="301">clay</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Most vineyards are on gently rising hilltops. And most all the <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary> are trained in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="774">pergola</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
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Maria, with the help of her fiancé Giminiano Montecchi, is <glossary title="332">converting</glossary> all the vineyards to <glossary title="746">organics</glossary> and together they are practicing an agro-homeopathy akin to <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="160">biodynamics</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The purpose is to allow the vines to ward off any maladies themselves. They had been using space at the local cooperative to <glossary title="1104">vinify</glossary> the wines, but have since constructed their own winery. <br />
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The white "<glossary term="Passerina" title="764">Passerina</glossary> del <glossary term="Frusinate" title="472">Frusinate</glossary>" is a <glossary title="168">blend</glossary> of 70% <glossary title="764">Passerina</glossary> and 30% <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary title="1043">Trebbiano</glossary><span>,</span></span></span>and is produced with a very short <glossary title="610">skin contac</glossary>t in <glossary title="986">stainless</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="538">native yeast</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> zero <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="447">unfiltered</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> <br />
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The<strong> </strong>Rosso is a <glossary title="168">blend</glossary> of the two local <glossary title="1169">strains</glossary> of the <glossary title="1139">indigenous</glossary> <glossary title="261">Cesanese</glossary> grape previously mentioned, both <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> and aged eight months in <glossary title="962">Slavonian oak</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="142">barrels</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> It is also bottled as <glossary title="535">IGT</glossary> <glossary title="874">Rosso</glossary> del <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="472">Frusinate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The <glossary title="573">label</glossary> art for the <glossary title="158">Bianco</glossary> and <glossary title="874">Rosso</glossary> feature watercolor sketches of family friend Antonietta Raphael Mafai, who created them for a exhibit curated by Manfredi in the early 1970's. <br />
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"L'Onda" is Maria Ernesta's <glossary title="1337">Cesanese del Piglio</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="396">DOCG</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> It it <glossary title="74">aged</glossary> for 18 months in neutral <glossary title="144">barriques</glossary> and then <glossary title="74">aged</glossary> further in bottle before release. About 1300 bottles are produced anually.<br />
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In 2015, a <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary title="458">foot-trodden</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="1218">open-vat</glossary> <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary> of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="261">Cesanese</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> "Mola da Piedi", came from an exceptional <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> of <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary> that is reached only by footpath, hence its name. It was aged in glass <glossary title="387">demijohns</glossary> in the old tradition. Only 180 bottles were made!</p>
Article
harvest report
30.12.2025
2025 Harvest Report from Maria Ernesta Berucci
<p><strong>"The Sparse and Inconsistent Glimpses of Beauty"</strong></p>
<p><br />
<strong>(cit. from the film “The Great Beauty” by Sorrentino)</strong></p>
<p><br />
The beginning of the 2025 season saw us in the vineyard early. Starting in 2024,<br />
we took over two hectares of young, somewhat wild vineyards, divided among Cesanese, Lecinaro, and Capolongo (the latter two being native grape varieties of southern Ciociaria). Beginning with the 2024 vintage, these two have joined Cesanese in its rosé version and have given life to a new white wine, a 100% Capolongo which I hope will soon also be available in the USA.</p>
<p>Under a mild, sunny winter used to pre-prune the larger vineyards, Spring arrived early. Between April and May, the first 2024 wines were bottled, and the beautiful secondary fermentation of our Passerina Frizzante began. We reached June feeling positive about a vintage that seemed promising. The sun, however, came on strong, with rain falling on the weekends. The “hat” worn every Saturday by Monte Scalambra, which dominates the valley and the vineyards, cast ominous signs. Alas, those negative omens became reality on Sundays June 15 and 22nd and Monday June 30th, when three heavy hailstorms struck three different vineyards, all planted to Cesanese.</p>
<p>I was reminded of the final scene of the film The Great Beauty, in which the protagonist speaks of how inconsistent Beauty is when compared to the End. We were very sad, but not discouraged. Ten years of work in agro-homeopathy and the work on preparations carried out by Geminiano truly helped us this year, and we treated the affected grapes with a preparation derived from the endophytes of vine shoots collected in Spring and from bee propolis. It was early summer; the grapes aborted the berries that were badly damaged by hail but carried everything else through.</p>
<p>The second major obstacle came after August 15th. A rainy disturbance and a sudden drop in temperature put the grapes, which were in their final stage of ripening, somewhat into crisis. This was especially true for the Passerina which no longer wanted to increase its sugar levels, presenting itself at harvest with sugars that made us understand that for the 2025 white would be lower in alcohol.</p>
<p>Cesanese is always a true thoroughbred, and despite the hail and a somewhat cool end of August, it gave its very best. Certainly, we did not harvest the same quantity as in the abundant 2024 vintage (a vintage dear to my heart, as well as marking ten years of activity!), but we cared for and worked our grapes in a truly artisanal way, with attention to every single cluster. For Cesanese, we chose to carry out micro-vinifications, even harvesting small portions of a vineyard, paying close attention to the right moment of ripeness.</p>
<p>As for the new Lecinaro grapes, this year we also vinified them as a red wine base, therefore on the skins for the entire spontaneous fermentation. A very pleasant red wine was born, tasting of raspberry and blueberry. It could be a charming companion, in a small percentage, for the Cesanese Raphaël... I guess that's a small spoiler for the 2025 vintage! </p>
<p>Staying with new developments, Capolongo also confirmed itself as a very promising grape with great potential. A white wine that tastes of sun, intense, with a light presence of tannins that hints at its long capacity to age in bottle.</p>
<p>The well-known white grapes of our region, Passerina and Trebbiano, kept us busy almost until the end of October! We waited as long as possible for the harvest, carrying out small, targeted pickings—first for the base of the frizzante and then for Raphaël Passerina. The wine that is now aging in concrete is like a French poem, whispering delicate words of love.</p>
<p>Love always remains central in our daily life as winegrowers and producers; without this Force, it would truly be difficult to face and confront everything that changes, from the climate to the economy of the world.</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//1089/ca/a5/caa5964c1a350fc0245e45032d3d6916.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//1089/ad/cc/adccd5ddfc0d17e97841edf5ce715486.jpg" /></p>
Article
harvest report
22.12.2022
2022 Harvest Report from Maria Ernesta Berucci
<p>Thinking of the 2022 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> it reminds me of a day in late August when it began raining steadily after weeks of intense heat and dryness. We were outside in the backyard with the girls playing, smiling and hoping that the rain would announce the arrival of cooler weather and more wet days (though that’s not exactly what we’d get). In September, we had an alternation of rainy and sunny days, which the vines enjoyed a lot, recovering from the hot and dry season. </p>
<p>We started <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvesting</glossary> the <glossary term="Cesanese" title="261">Cesanese</glossary> on September 3rd in the young Terra Felix vineyard in Paliano, where the grapes usually ripen in advance, compared to the <glossary term="Piglio" title="796">Piglio</glossary> and Serrone vineyards, because of the local <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Microclimate" title="656">microclimate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The <glossary term="Drought" title="1167">drought</glossary> has concentrated a lot of sugar in the grapes and we had some very stressful moments during the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Spontaneous Fermentation" title="976">spontaneous fermentation</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which galloped and then slowed down in dangerous ways, ending with <glossary term="Residual Sugar" title="853">residual sugar</glossary> that ran out only after almost two months sitting on the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Lees" title="590">lees</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In spite of that a powerful wine was born: “L'Onda”.</p>
<p>The <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> kept on going from mid-September to mid-October. We started first in the Serrone vineyards, collecting the grapes for Raphael Rosé, the first part of Raphael Rosso and the grapes for our new <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Methode Ancestrale" title="1311">ancestral sparkling wine</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Lastly came the <glossary term="Piglio" title="796">Piglio</glossary> grapes for Raphael Bianco, Mola da Piedi Cesanese and the second part of the Raphael Rosso.</p>
<p>Raphael Rosé was left in contact with the skins for 12 hours with dry ice before <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Racking/Soutirage" title="843">racking</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>This year we have <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> the <glossary term="Cesanese" title="261">Cesanese</glossary> grapes from Grotte vineyard in a separate <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tank</glossary> to taste the results of nine years of agro-homeopathy work in the vineyard: the result is extraordinary. We have had already seen a soft soil with rich spontaneous vegetation, the vines changing in color and texture, no suffering for the very hot summer and good ripening of all the grapes. Plus vines that have not thinned or defoliated.</p>
<p>The <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermentation</glossary> was beautiful and very fast, lasting only six days with a temperature stuck at 22 °C: “Perfect”. We did not get much color in this <glossary term="Must" title="700">must</glossary> because the fast <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermentation</glossary> did not allowed much <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Extraction" title="433">extraction</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> So, this must will be <glossary term="Blending" title="1146">blended</glossary> with the one from grapes <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary> in Serrone, which have an intense color and depth of flavor and aroma typical of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cesanese" title="261">Cesanese</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> All the <glossary term="Must" title="700">musts</glossary> for our future <glossary term="Cesanese del Piglio" title="1337">Cesanese del Piglio</glossary> are extraordinary.</p>
<p>The white grapes for Raphael Bianco were <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary> last because we wanted the benefit of the rains to enrich them. We left the <glossary term="Must" title="700">must</glossary> in <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">skin contact</glossary> for 36 hours, using dry ice to extract aromas and saturate the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We had a little <glossary term="Residual Sugar" title="853">residual sugar</glossary> left at the start of the <glossary term="Malolactic Fermentation" title="622">malolactic fermentation</glossary> before the <glossary term="Alcoholic Fermentation" title="87">alcoholic one</glossary> had completed. But the wine will be able to digest the sugar in the following months of resting on its <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Lees" title="590">lees</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>For now the wines are <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aging</glossary> as follows: Mola da Piedi in large “terracotta” <glossary term="Amphora" title="103">amphora</glossary>; Raphael Rosé divided among <glossary term="Concrete" title="325">cement</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> tava <glossary term="Amphora" title="103">amphora</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">steel</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the Raphael white and red in <glossary term="Concrete" title="325">cement</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary> divided by <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> for now; L'Onda is in a big <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> to refine its evolutionary movements.</p>
<p>The 2022 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> has a nice sound for us!</p>
<p>Greetings from our <glossary term="Artisan" title="121">artisan</glossary> hands, our agricultural feet and our artist hearts.</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/6d/47/6d4735bc4f5135539b1ce14bef52849e.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/d8/84/d884416d498d51380854970ab6808e11.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/41/b5/41b5c046cd3068ef678a8a02f4ff8516.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/b3/65/b365b3c08687663a5be1ee409c4184a4.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/5c/cb/5ccbf2a837c0e3c8cbba505105ca22f1.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/54/4e/544e13210f539caf94bf1cfbc8afa852.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/1c/31/1c317ffe635581b17e0dddedcf171437.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/fc/4a/fc4aa16c6f97f786e4fc7b6861d723fe.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/f7/4c/f74caf3bd47f553a4268114877564777.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//944/a6/ba/a6bacac524e53666413ab9e03b3653f5.jpg" /></p>
Article
harvest report
21.09.2018
2018 Harvest Report from Maria-Ernesta Berucci
<p>2018 has been a very important year for us, both for our family and business. We have crowned our sentimental story through our wedding in August. The party in the vineyard was great, with lots of friends, relatives and good food. With enthusiasm we dived deeper with our hands and feet "in the <glossary title="700">must</glossary>" of our winery adventure.<br />
<br />
This year we have renovated the Massimi Berucci family's historical <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> and are calling it "Cantina Berucci Montecchi"; giving continuity to the past and present. We have brought in <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> both plain and coated with <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary title="445">fiberglass</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> a brand new, 10<glossary title="524">hl</glossary> Paucha <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary> to host future "L'Onda" wines and a TAVA <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="103">amphora</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> All this in addition to our old faithful <glossary title="1218">open wooden vats</glossary> and the last but not the least squad of 54l carboys ? <strong>(ed note: I have no idea what that means)</strong>.<br />
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The 2017-18 season has not be a good one for <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In springtime with had a late <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1135">frost</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> fortunately with limited damage. Rain and high humidity lasted all summer, promoting the outbreak of downey <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary> that accompanied us through the season. The result has been very bad. We have lost most of the <glossary title="261">Cesanese</glossary> grapes in Casalotto vineyard, whereas we the damage was limited at Mola da Piedi (the strength of the small), Colli Santi where the <glossary title="497">alberello</glossary> vines are planted in a way that helps against fungal diseases, and Sterparo Lungo, Paliano, which has a good <glossary title="430">exposition</glossary> of the "sunny side". In the end, the harvest of <glossary title="261">Cesanese di Affile</glossary> grapes has not been great, whereas the <glossary title="764">Passerina del Frusinate</glossary> one has been satisfying.<br />
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At the arrival of the grapes in the winery we used dry ice (<glossary title="310">CO2</glossary>) to prevent <glossary title="754">oxidative</glossary> processes in the grapes. The result of using plain <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary> has been great: <glossary title="976">spontaneous fermentation</glossary> started in 24 hours and finished in 10 days time, with a regular trend in sugar degradation and constant temperatures. <glossary title="764">Passerina</glossary> was left <glossary title="610">macerate</glossary> on its skins for 36 hours, then <glossary title="827">pressed</glossary> and left to <glossary title="441">ferment</glossary> inside a <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1140">tank</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> <glossary title="261">Cesanese</glossary> grapes were handled in different ways according to their final destination. Mola da Piedi were crushed <glossary title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary> by foot by Maria and Geminiano, then left to <glossary title="441">ferment</glossary> in <glossary title="1218">open wooden vats</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="103">amphora</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> with <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> in <glossary title="103">amphora</glossary> and 54t carboys. The Rosso has followed both <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary> and <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> inside <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1140">tank</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
Because of this challenging <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> this year there will be no "L'Onda" 2018. We are going to make a <glossary title="168">blend</glossary> with part of the wine for "L'Onda" 2017, a super wine, in order to increase the Rosso according to our commercial needs and to ameliorate its organoleptic properties.</p>
<p><br />
In spite of the bad season, we have tried micro<span class="zalup"><span><span>-</span><glossary title="1104">vinifications</glossary> </span></span>on white grapes from the Mola da Piedi vineyard. We <glossary title="827">pressed</glossary> them at <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> then <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary> and <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> inside 54t carboys, "a little poetry" of wine ?<br />
<br />
As a matter of fact, we have behaved as wine <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="121">artisans</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We have guarded and defended our vineyards so that they could produce as best they could. The application of homeopathic remedies helped us not to rustle with excessive doses of <glossary title="333">copper</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> using them when and where necessary in little quantities.<br />
<br />
We have made grapes into wine with attention, respect and passion, without adding any <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="321">commercial yeast</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="993">sulfite</glossary> or other adjuvants. We have decanted the wine following the moon calendar and so on according to our ethic: "If the process is good the result will be the same".</p>
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