Tradition and innovation
The past does not produce the present; the present shapes its past.
A PROJECT THAT BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE WITH THE 2017 VINTAGE, WHEN WE DECIDED TO MAKE OUR TREBBIANO IN JARS OF COCCIOPESTO, ANCIENT OPUS SIGNINUM THAT MIXES BRICK, STONE FRAGMENTS, SAND, BINDER AND WATER.
Cocciopesto isn’t like terracotta. It was used by the Romans and even before that, it had been used by the Phoenicians. It was used to clad aqueducts, cisterns and thermal baths. The shape of the wine container – inspired by the Roman dolium tradition – suggests that the egg-shaped interior’s convective motion fosters the recirculation of must during winemaking.
A 50-YEAR-OLD PERGOLA
We were fascinated by the idea of making wine from a 50-year-old pergola vineyard, with perfect phenolic ripeness and macerated in the old way. The grapes were destemmed, but not crushed, and fermented in cocciopesto with ambient yeasts. After ten days of maceration and manual punching down, followed by first racking, the wine went back to the cocciopesto jars to finish fermentation and refinement, followed by unfiltered bottling.
Identity
Thanks to its microporous nature, which leads to micro oxygenation, cocciopesto enhances the sensory profile and aroma of the wine without leaving traces. The result is a refined, delicate Trebbiano with a decidedly mineral character. We’re thrilled with it – far from run-of-the-mill and with a real identity.
Cocciopesto
A unique feature of cocciopesto is that it promotes micro oxygenation. Indeed, this material is remarkably microporous so showcases the sensory profile by enhancing and amplifying wine aromas during vinification and subsequent refinement. Lastly, a substantial difference compared to terracotta is that cocciopesto dries in air and the process lasts at least 30 days
By obtaining food certification to endorse the purity of the materials used in the mixture means no internal vitrification is required for the interior, mandatory for other materials used, such as concrete containers.
