Collection: Andrea Occhipinti

This estate is based on the slopes surrounding the Volcanic lake of Bolsena; the region is part of Maremma (called 'Tuscia " in Lazio), about 15 minutes' drive from the Tuscan border, a spectacular terroir known for the infamous 'Est Est Est " white, now fortunately making something rather more palatable now. Andrea works essentially with Aleatico di Gradoli (the local aleatico, stylistically a bit more on the delicate and spicy than the versions from Tuscany) and with Grechetto Rosso (called Grechette due to proximity with Umbria, but part of the Sangiovese family, although it tastes completely different than any Sangiovese you may have tried). These are real wines of terroir, pure and natural. Andrea fell in love with the vineyards of Gradoli while he was at the Agrarian University of Tuscia, so much so that they became the subject of his master's thesis in 2004. He was able to rent and purchase 4 hectares of vineyards planted in the 1990's. They are 450 metres above sea level on the volcanic slopes of Bolsena Lake, the largest volcanic lake in Europe. Situated just one hour north of Rome, the lake provides a unique microclimate that together with the particular terroir and Andrea's objective to preserve and promote the local indigenous varietals, Aleatico and Grechetto Rosso, produce wines with the flavour of tradition and the effervescence of innovation. - Importer Note