Our vineyards
We cultivate about 7.5 hectares of vineyard and a few olive trees on classic Ligurian terraces with drystone walls set among the hills and Mediterranean maquis woods of Ortovero, Pogli and Ranzo, the area historically favoured by the Pigato grape, a Vermentino biotype which has developed original characteristics in Western Liguria that cannot be reproduced elsewhere, so much so that it is considered a variety in its own right.
ORTOVERO
Eight different vineyards, eight little mandilli (handkerchiefs) of land among vegetable gardens, olive trees and Mediterranean shrubs. Soils of Pliocene origin, consisting mainly of deep clay marls and fine sandstone. The presence of pebbles originating from the disintegration of clastic sedimentary rock ensures excellent drainage. In Ortovero we grow Pigato as well as Rossese and Granaccia. The grapes grown here are almost always the first to ripen thanks to the microclimate influenced by the proximity of the sea. The resulting wines are savoury and exuberant.
POGLI - GARAXIN
High on the hill above the village of Pogli, entirely surrounded by woods, the vines are cultivated on terraces protected by stone walls known in local dialect as Majè. The area is wild and rich in biodiversity, with wolves now being constantly present.
The microclimate is strongly influenced by the surrounding woodland, which helps mitigate the heat accumulated during the day at night.
Ventilation is constant, with sea breezes alternating with those that blow down from the nearby mountains at night.
The soil is made up of the blue clays of Ortovero: marine deposits rich in fossil micro and macro fauna consisting mainly of grey-blue clay marls with outcrops of marine rock and stone.
The marine origin of the soil is evident not only in the numerous fossil shells that we find, but also in the fact that it shapes “vertical” wines with low pH and vibrant acidity. They evolve over the years with extreme finesse and elegance.Negli anni evolvono con estrema finezza ed eleganza.
RANZO
Two distinct plots planted with Pigato vines, some very old, over 50 years of age.
The first lies on the right bank of the Arroscia stream, where the soil is loose, with a predominance of sand and silt that gives the wine intense aromas and immediacy on the palate. The other is located on the slope of the Russeghine hill (a dialect name referring to the red soil), on the opposite side of the stream, high above the village of Borgo di Ranzo, with a southern exposure. The vineyard has been recorded in the municipal registers since the late 1700s and, at that time, was owned by the Bishop of Albenga. It was precisely with the grapes from this large terraced plot that my father Riccardo, in 1972, decided to bottle and label his first Pigato. Today, after another 50 harvests, it is still our wine of the heart.Oggi, dopo altre 50 vendemmie, è ancora il nostro vino del cuore. The soil is composed of red clays rich in iron and manganese oxides and has always been considered by the village farmers as the best for vines.
From these grapes, a Pigato of great personality is obtained, complex and structured, with a very interesting aging potential.
