Aglianico del Vulture from Lorenzo Piccin of San Martino.

Aglianico del Vulture from Lorenzo Piccin of San Martino

San Martino (Basilicata) Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	San Martino (Basilicata)
Region	Basilicata
Country	Italy
Proprietor	Lorenzo Piccin
Size	6 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Volcanic rock, sand and ash
Grapes grown	Aglianico
Fun facts	Lorenzo spilts his time between Torino and Basilicata. That's a 12 hour drive!

Lorenzo spilts his time between Torino and Basilicata. That's a 12 hour drive!

Name of Estate	San Martino (Basilicata)
Region	Basilicata
Country	Italy
Proprietor	Lorenzo Piccin
Size	6 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Volcanic rock, sand and ash
Grapes grown	Aglianico
Fun facts	Lorenzo spilts his time between Torino and Basilicata. That's a 12 hour drive!

Get to know
San Martino (Basilicata)

producer profile 06.05.2020

San Martino (Basilicata) Profile

The San Martino wines came to our attention through our friend Nico at <a href="https://louisdressner.com/producers/la%20stoppa">La Stoppa</a>. We weren't looking for a winery from this area and really didn't know what to expect when we accepted to meet proprietor Lorenzo Piccin at our office. As he points out himself, people think of <glossary title="75">Aglianico</glossary> and wines from Southern Italy as big, thick alcohol bombs (not exactly our specialty). But Denyse, Kevin and I were all impressed with what we tasted: deep, structured red wines that still manage to capture the finesse and elegance of a cool climate region. We also very much appreciated Lorenzo, a charming, charismatic and passionate young man. <glossary title="1279">Aglianico del Vulture</glossary> is a unique region in every respect: the exclusive use of the <glossary title="75">Aglianico</glossary> grape, high <glossary title="419">elevation</glossary>, diverse geology, <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary>, a continental climate despite being in the South of Italy... The list goes on. It's also a poor region that rarely sees outsiders come to the fray, making the story of San Martino all the more interesting. Lorenzo is originally from <glossary title="681">Montepulciano</glossary>. Before he and his twin sister were born, Lorenzo's parents worked as sheep farmers. This proved too difficult with the kids around, so they sold all their animals and focused on making wine from the two <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary title="911">Sangiovese</glossary> attached to the property. The first <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> was in 1990; very quickly the winery became one of the most famous in <glossary title="1055">Tuscany</glossary>. As their star rose, so did the <glossary title="681">Montepulciano</glossary>'s. By the late 90's, the family <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> was surrounded by rich urbanites' vanity projects. It was once again too much to bear. Lorenzo's parents agreed to sell the winery and start fresh elsewhere. Instead of uprooting the family, it was decided that they would stay in <glossary title="1055">Tuscany</glossary> and Lorenzo's father would travel back and forth. He'd long been a lover of the <glossary title="75">Aglianico</glossary> grape and quickly fell for the charms of <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary>. After finding some land, the Grifalco project was founded in 2004. During this time, Lorenzo finished high school, went to university in <glossary title="1033">Turin</glossary>, got married and started a family there. But his goal was always to make wine, and after studying <glossary title="422">oenology</glossary> and <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, he felt compelled to create his own <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>. He'd already been helping out at Grifalco and felt the <glossary title="1281">Vulture</glossary> region (yes, it's named after the bird of prey) was a fascinating area, so he decided to rent six <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> and start his own project. He currently splits his time between <glossary title="1033">Turin</glossary> and <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary>, taking a 12 hour night bus every two to three weeks to handle everything in the vines and <glossary title="233">cantina</glossary>. As mentioned earlier, the region is actually quite cool and dry; <glossary title="521">harvests</glossary> usually start in mid-october, probably the latest in all of Italy. This is due to San Martino's vineyards being between 500 and 600 meters above sea level and the constant, dry winds coming from the <glossary title="1057">Tyrrhenian Sea</glossary>. In such, working <glossary title="746">organically</glossary> is very easy as the steady, cold winds keep illness at a minimum. San Martino has been <glossary title="260">certified organic</glossary> since its inception in 2008, and Lorenzo feels is not too challenging: he only <glossary title="328">treats</glossary> three or four times a year in a four month period from April to July. The soils are a diverse, ever alternating mix of lava, ash, <glossary title="909">sand</glossary> and river stones. Most of the vines are between 20 and 40 years old, with 1.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> over 80. In the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, the wines are made in a gentle, <glossary title="1378">infusion</glossary> style to avoid <glossary title="433">extraction</glossary>. Everything is very instinctive, with <glossary title="850">pump-overs</glossary>, minimal additions of <glossary title="993">S02</glossary> and a single <glossary title="843">racking</glossary> being the only interventions. <glossary title="760">Parcels</glossary> of all ages are <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> separately; after a year of <glossary title="418">elevage</glossary>, Lorenzo decides which to <glossary title="168">blend</glossary> in order to produce the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>'s three wines. "SIIR" tends to come from the youngest vines and is meant as an introduction to <glossary title="1279">Aglianico del Vulture</glossary>. "Arberekso" is more of a classic expression, with intentionally longer <glossary title="418">elevage</glossary> in <glossary title="1126">tonneau</glossary> and bottle and usually the comes from older vines. "Kamai" is a tiny <glossary title="852">riserva</glossary> from the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>'s <glossary title="740">oldest vines</glossary> and sees the longest <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> in <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary>. All three capture the unique set of circumstances that make <glossary term="Vulture" title="1281">Vulture</glossary> one of Italy's most outlying, interesting <glossary title="113">appellations</glossary>.

interview 06.05.2020

An interview with Lorenzo Piccin from 2020

This interview with Lorenzo Piccin took place in March, 2020. Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about the origins of the estate. The San Martino winery was born in 2008. I started studying <glossary title="422">oenology</glossary> in 2007 and my family has been in wine since the late 80’s. We used to be based in <glossary title="681">Montepulciano</glossary> but have been in <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary> since 2004, when my father founded the Grifalco winery. I’ve been a part of that project since the beginning. I mean, I grew up in a winery and have been around this my whole life. It’s the only thing I know. In 2007 I decided to go to school because I wanted to dive deeper into the transformation of grape juice into wine, to know how the plant and soil would affect the outcome. The more knowledge I absorbed, the more I felt the need to follow my own path and ideas. It made me want to try something different, to do something more. To combine the knowledge I’d acquired from a lifetime with my father with what I’d learned in school. I started by making a single <glossary title="1140">tank</glossary>. Some friends loved it and wanted to sell it in the USA. This was inspiring, and from there San Martino was born. I started renting six <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> at the San Martino contrada and the project began. Grifalco still exists right? And you are still part of it? Grifalco is a family business. My father passed away last February (2019). But he’d been sick since 2011 and I’ve been making the wines there since. My brother is in charge of the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> and is also responsible for selling the wines. I personally don’t travel much and spend most of my time in the vines and the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. I’m not very good at selling. So you rent six hectares on the side for San Martino?  I bought them after a while. Do you also farm the family land? Yes. I farm both. Why did your family move from Tuscany to Basilicata? It’s all because of <glossary title="75">Aglianico</glossary>. My father had been in love with this grape since the mid 1990’s. My parents’ families are both from Rome but they decided to move to <glossary title="1055">Tuscany</glossary> in the late 1970’s to become farmers. They had 350 sheep which produced milk and wool. They also had two <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary title="911">Sangiovese</glossary>. But they would sell the grapes to a guy who’d come from <glossary title="836">Puglia</glossary> to make wine back home with it. In 1988, my twin sister and I were born. My mother was at home alone with us since her family was in Rome. My father was out all day taking care of the animals and it was really tough. They were alone in the middle of the country: the closest neighbor was four kilometers away. It was simply too hard to continue. So they decided to sell all the animals, make their own wine from the two <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> and start planting vines as well. The winery is called Salcheto and the first <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> was produced in 1990 (note: the winery still exists under different ownership). Much to their surprise, their star rose very quickly. By the late 90’s, the winery was one of the most famous in <glossary title="1055">Tuscany</glossary>. They were also growing fast over the years, but eventually became disillusioned with this as it felt like pure marketing. Big companies were also beginning to invade the area. I’m talking insurance guys, lawyers, bankers; they were all starting their own wineries around us. Our closest neighbor was from the Angelini family, one of the biggest pharmacy owners in Italy. And the other was Cragnotti, the owner of A/C Lazio team. These guys were not taking it seriously like my parents were. It was a glamorous thing to do. All these guys were the opposite of <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary>. So my parents got sick of this and decided to sell everything. They started to look for somewhere to start again, the hope being to find a great region that has not been taken over by money (much like <glossary title="1055">Tuscany</glossary> had been twenty years earlier). After much research, the two areas they were seriously considering were <glossary title="429">Etna</glossary> and <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary>. Originally the plan was to move the entire family. But my sister and I were 14 and my brother was 10. In the end it felt too unfair to uproot us from our entire childhood. So instead my father decided he’d travel from <glossary title="1055">Tuscany</glossary> to wherever the new place would be. <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary> was much closer than <glossary title="429">Etna</glossary>! So he moved there for a few months looking for land, fell in love with some old <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> and was convinced the area was the new beginning for his winery. So you stayed in Tuscany? I finished high school in <glossary title="1055">Tuscany</glossary>, then went to <glossary title="1033">Torino</glossary> for university. I got married there and I still live half of my life there with my family. The other half I’m in <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary> working in the vines and the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. I travel two to three weeks every month, come here, take care of what needs to get done then head back. How long of a drive is that? 12 hours. I take an overnight bus and sleep through the drive. My back is not always happy with me, but it’s ok. Do you feel this is how you will continue to function? Do you like this lifestyle? I chose this life and I like it. I believe it’s a good balance. If I was alone and without a family, I would probably move to <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary>. Life is really nice there. It’s easy, it’s slow. I’m very happy there. But I really value societal hubs of culture and knowledge. I think this gives you a very important opportunity to grow and have an open mind when you are young. When I think of my children going to school in <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary>, I know there would be some good to it. But the cultural aspect of a city like <glossary title="1033">Torino</glossary> feels like it wins out. I think it’s a better place to raise my children. Let’s talk about the area the winery is in. We’re in the sector of <glossary title="1280">Forenza</glossary>. The vines are 520 to almost 600 meters above sea level. I think the best thing to describe <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary> and the <glossary title="1279">Vulture</glossary> <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary> is the fact that there are so many <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary>. Everyone you meet has at least one small piece of land planted 60, 70, 80, 90 years ago. And the vines still produce well! I’ve never seen anything like that anywhere else. Growing up in <glossary title="681">Montepulciano</glossary>, the attitude there is that vineyards will last you 30 years before replanting. It’s amazing. And what’s great is that the region did not succumb to what started happening in the 1980’s, with everyone buying and planting the same, single <glossary title="304">clone</glossary> per <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary>. Everything is <glossary title="941">massale</glossary>. It’s all empirical observation of which plants were producing the best, which are the most resistant to illness... Another thing that’s very unique is that the only grape here is <glossary title="75">Aglianico</glossary>. There really is nothing else. Every other region in Italy, even if some grapes are the most dominant, has lots of others planted alongside them. So of course this also implies no international influence with grapes like <glossary title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> and <glossary title="650">Merlot</glossary>. If you speak to the elders and ask if they’d planted anything else, they’ll answer: “Why?” It always makes me laugh. The soils here are <glossary title="1117">volcanic</glossary>. The last eruption was 150 000 years ago: it covered the area with many layers of ash and lava. This is mixed with sediments from the bottom of the sea and ancient rivers, so you have <glossary title="909">sand</glossary>, shells and round stones from the bottom of the rivers. It’s also surprisingly cool for being so far to the South right? We are amongst the last to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> in Italy. We start in the middle of October. This is largely due to the very high <glossary title="419">elevation</glossary> of the vines. In the south of Italy, the left part is influenced by the <glossary title="1057">Tyrrhenian Sea</glossary>: lots of wind coming from the Atlantic over to the <glossary title="1057">Tyrrhenian</glossary>. It creates a lot of humidity that gets trapped by the <glossary title="1282">Apennine mountains</glossary>. This then comes to our area but it's still much dryer, less rain and humidity. The only really bad weather we get is when the winds come from the Balkans. It’s a very dry wind because it’s not crossing any sea: it’s coming from Russia. And since <glossary title="1217">Basilicata</glossary> is not close to the sea, it does not get too warm. It’s the only continental weather in the center and south of Italy.   Is there any other type of agriculture there?  A lot of olive oil. If you go more south you’ll find meat. Let’s talk about the work in the vines. Since the beginning, my idea was to be as non interventionist as possible. When you look at the vineyards here, it’s great because there are none planted in bad places. Most are in fact already planted in the best areas. And that helps a lot. For me, working <glossary title="746">organically</glossary> here is easy. It’s a shame if you don’t get <glossary title="260">organic certification</glossary> here: it’s so easy that it’s stupid not to do it. Grifalco has been <glossary title="260">certified</glossary> since 2007 and San Martino from the beginning. Honestly, most of the time you don’t need to spray in the vineyard and can just wait. When it rains, even for a long period, the winds are so strong and cold that two hours later the leaves are dry. They don’t get wet. I might do two or three <glossary title="333">copper</glossary> <glossary title="328">treatments</glossary> a year, three or four with <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary>. This is from April to June, maybe early July. Other than that I do nothing else. And in the cantina? Because of our climate, production is very low. This is the balance of our vineyards and I do not want to push them harder. So the balance in the vineyards is like the balance in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. Production is low but the grapes are beautiful. They get to the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> within an hour or two of being picked and are <glossary title="378">destemmed</glossary>. I then fill the <glossary title="1140">tank</glossary>, wait two hours and add a small amount of <glossary title="993">S02</glossary>. The tanks take 24 to 36 hours to start <glossary title="441">fermenting</glossary>. I’ll do some <glossary title="850">pump-overs</glossary> during the peak of <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary> for oxygenation, but not much. I want it to be like making tea, a gentle <glossary title="433">extraction</glossary>. The <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> process is different every year and reflects the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. Sometimes the wine needs more oxygen, sometimes in can easily stand being in <glossary title="1126">tonneau</glossary> for six months, sometimes not at all. My goal is to reflect the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> as accurately as possible. How do the three wines differentiate themselves? The goal is to produce three distinct expressions of <glossary title="75">Aglianico</glossary>. "SIIR" means “father/owner” in local dialect and for me is like an introduction to <glossary title="75">Aglianico</glossary>. If you don’t know the grape or the <glossary title="1279">Vulture appellation</glossary>, this is how I’d like you to discover it. Maybe with the exception of <glossary title="429">Etna</glossary>, when people think of the south of Italy they are thinking of big, powerful wines. High alcohol and thick. That’s the opposite of what I’m looking to do with "SIIR". You can just enjoy. We use the youngest vineyards and <glossary title="433">extract</glossary> the least amount possible. "Arberesko" is meant to be more of a classic expression of the <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary>. This implies a little <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> here in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> but also in bottle. It’s a deeper wine. The name is what locals of <glossary title="1283">Maschito</glossary> call themselves in the local dialect. "Kamai" is from the oldest vineyards, around 80 years old. After <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary>, the wine <glossary title="74">ages</glossary> around 24 months in <glossary title="1126">tonneau</glossary>, then another year in bottle before release. Can you tell us about the whole vulture thing? It’s the name of the appellation, you have them on your labels...  Federico Secondo was the king of the south about 1000 years ago. He owned what is now the south of Italy. He was an amazing character who could speak six languages (Italian, Latin, Greek, German, French...) and was quite eccentric. He built many castles all over because he loved hunting. One of his claims to fame was that he loved to hunt with falcons. He was so passionate that he wrote a book on how to train falcons for hunting, and in fact this book is still used today! There are many images in this book, including the one we used on the <glossary title="573">label</glossary>. So they are falcons, not vultures on the <glossary title="573">labels</glossary>.

harvest report 23.12.2022

2022 Harvest Report from Lorenzo Piccin

producer profile 06.05.2020

San Martino (Basilicata) Profile

interview 06.05.2020

An interview with Lorenzo Piccin from 2020

harvest report 23.12.2022

2022 Harvest Report from Lorenzo Piccin

San Martino (Basilicata)’s wines

San Martino (Basilicata)

Aglianico del Vulture "Siir"

San Martino (Basilicata)

Aglianico del Vulture "Arberesko"

San Martino (Basilicata)

Aglianico del Vulture Superiore "Kamai"