Niche Niche in Northern Italy

The Wines…

1. 2019 Il Torchio Vermentino
   From the Northern Region of Liguria, an area on the coast that specializes in Vermentino and Vermentino Nero.
   Il Torchio refers to a communal olive press historically used in the region of Colli di Luna. The Tendola family ran this olive press for the village of Castelnuovo Magra.
   Young generation taking control after the sudden passing of their father. Gilda and Edoardo were 27 and 18, respectively, at the time of taking over the Il Torchio estate (about 9-10 years ago)
   In total, the estate is 12ha with only 9ha planted to vine. The Il Torchio estate is one single parcel instead of many split up, which is unique for this region and many regions.
   This Il Bianco bottling is 100% Vermentino and comes from the vineyards lower on the hill. The grapes are farmed organically but the estate is too small for them to worry about an official organic certification. Everything in the vineyard is done by hand and the grapes are also hand harvested. In the cellar, indigenous yeast is used for fermentation and it takes places in stainless steel. 18-20 hour maceration. 3 months spent in stainless and then the wine is bottled and released. Bright, fresh, and crisp this wine also brings plenty of texture and a bit of classic Ligurian salinity
   
   
   2. 2018 Giuseppe Mascarello Freisa Toetto
   The Giuseppe Mascarello family is an estate that has been around since the 1800s but family members have been farming grapes for many generations prior. Extreme focus in the vineyard on low yields, natural viticulture, and hand-harvesting means the product going into these wines is excellent. Native yeast is used to ferment in large, neutral barrel for this specific cuvee.
   floating cap fermentation of selected estate-grown grapes for 15/20 days. The wine is then matured in medium-sized Slavonian oak barrels for few months.
   This wine is made from Freisa, a local Piedmontese wine known for two specific styles. Each style uses a different clone. Freisa Grossa is made into lighter and fruitier wines, often with a little sparkle to them. Freisa Piccolo is fermented dry and a more serious wine. G. Mascarello uses Freisa Piccolo to make this wine.
   
   3. 2013 Masi Serego Alighieri Vaio Amaron Amarone
   A historic estate dating back to 1353 when it was purchased by Pietro Alighieri (son of the poet, Dante Alighieri). In 1973, Masi purchased the estate and continues to run it how it has been for centuries. This ‘Vaio Amaron’ Amarone is the iconic wine coming from the estate and the vineyard it is sourced from is said to be the reason for the named Amarone. The grapes are the typical local grapes, Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. However, Serego Alighieri has their own Molinara clone and that is what is used for this wine. This wine is also only aged in cherry-wood casks because of family tradition.
   Amarone is a style of wine where the grapes are harvested and then partially dried out. In most historic estates, there are special drying chambers for the grapes once they are harvested. Serego Alighieri uses this in their production.
   
   4. Terre de Marca Rose Colfondo
   Terre di Marca is a laballed owned by Azienda Corvezzo, a producer in the Veneto who specializes in Prosecco. This wine is made from Raboso Pieve, a red grape grown in the Veneto. This wine is done in the colfondo method, which means a secondary fermentation in the bottle by adding lees to turn the remaining sugar into CO2. The wine is therefore very dry and slightly sparkling.