THE WINERY
The heart of the winery lies in the centre of the farm estate in Imola, where only estate-grown grapes are vinified. All of the vineyards are managed according the principles of sustainable viticulture, which mandates inter-row cover-cropping and the lowest possible use of chemicals. In addition, recent years have witnessed surprising gains as a result of considering the phases of the moon in relation to certain vineyard management practices (one of the doctrines in biodynamic agriculture), such as hedging, planting new new vines, and, in some cases, the harvest itself. The winemaking operations too, watched over painstakingly by the experienced and talented Vittorio Navacchia, are animated by a philosophy of minimal intervention. Every step is carried out with full respect not only for the integrity of the fruit, but above all for the unique character of each growing year, so that Vittorio can ensure that the final wines fully expresses all of the conditions that gave it birth. This overall philosophy has resulted in a production that is almost exclusively focused on monovarietal wines, thanks largely to those efforts lavished everyday on the vineyards.
THE PROPERTIES
The winery comprises two separate estates, one in the hills near Imola, the other in the hills of Forlì. The winery’s total area amounts to some 55 hectares, all of it planted to vines. The winery’s main facilities and administration are in the centre of the Imola estate, which lies in the Tre Monti (Three Mountains) area constituted by Imola’s first band of hills. At about 100 metres’ elevation, this property covers some 30 hectares, all in vines, with the vineyards facing southeast. Soils are primarily silty-clay, and quite dense. Soil studies confirmed what years of experienced had revealed: the specific Imola vineyard sites and their soil profile make them particularly well-suited for the production of white-wine grapes. The microclimate that distinguishes the Valle del Rio Sanguinario is marked by nighttime temperatures significantly lower than those during the day, which develops aromatic complexity in the grapes, particularly those for white wines. The Petrignone property, covering some 28 hectares, enjoys a magnificent position in the Forlì hills, a terrace at 150 metres’ elevation, with a sweeping view of the Romagna plain below. All of its vineyards face south. The soil is sandy clay, with good pebbly texture. But the property is really a microcosm of various soil types. Zonation studies of the winery properties have revealed a tremendously wide range of soil profiles even within each property, making it necessary to subdivide them further into more localised microclimates. Detailed understanding of the properties has made possible the planting of grape varieties suited specifically to each site, which has considerably boosted the quality and complexity of the fruit they yield. And optimal fruit quality is precisely the purpose of this project, so that the estate wines will reflect to an ever greater degree the characteristics of their unique origin. With the native varieties in particular, the goal is to find that perfect equilibrium between experience as legacy of the past and the more scientific awareness created today. A further goal, a bit utopian perhaps, is to preserve the heritage varieties present on the winery estates; already the best cultivars of sangiovese, which are also the oldest here, have been selected out. They will be carefully propagated, in the hope of forging a viticultural link that will bind together all of our local history up to the present moment and passing on that cultural complex, as complete as we can make it, to the wine lovers…and dreamers…who will come after us.
THE NATIVE VARIETIES
Albana, trebbiano, and, of course, sangiovese. Albana, the first Italian white wine to win official DOCG recognition, in 1987, today faithfully reflects an amalgam of ancient experience and contemporary discoveries. The actual cultivar of albana that we use is called “della Serra”; it gives a wine of emphatic character, which eloquently expresses the strong personality of its parent region, and a suite of distinctive qualities greatly prized by aficionados throughout the world. Our winery can justly be considered a kind of laboratory, since its two terroirs have represented over time, as they continue to do today, a genuine experimental station for Romagna’s own grape par excellence, sangiovese. While the area of Imola yields wines of crisp liveliness, those from Forlì are leaner and more complex, and not devoid of a hint of a tangy minerality, a contribution from the nearby Adriatic. Thus, a lifelong and profound understanding of our local terroir and the accumulated humus of experience, harvest after harvest, have focused our attention and efforts on precisely these varieties, as our contribution to ensuring a vibrant, authentic future for Romagna viticulture.
Azienda Agricola Tre Monti
Via Lola 3, loc. Bergullo - 40026 Imola (BO) Italia
Tel. 0542 657116 - Fax 0542 657122
tremonti@tremonti.it
