Denavolo

(Emilia-Romagna, Italy) 

Giulio Armani is a quiet, introspective theorist and scholar, well-appointed in his sharp, Italian dress. Behind his smile, though, you can see his mind is not as reserved: always asking, testing, proving. This exuberance comes through in the highly-energetic yet contemplative wines Giulio crafts at Denavolo, named for the mountain on which it lies. On this stunning slope in Emilia-Romagna, he retreats from his red wine labors in La Stoppa, where he has been making wine since he was a boy, to answer more questions his mind cannot let pass: Why has the world assumed wines from red and white grapes are made differently? Perhaps this is a fashion of the old days that has clung tightly in the current era and is now stifling the potential of great white wine? Can you hear his mind working? It is a joy to hear and taste the results. To reach the potential, Giulio is still experimenting: oak versus tank, parcel selection versus whole vineyard, long versus short maceration, but certain things remain a constant. Dedication to harmony with nature, natural fermentations and processes, skin contact and no filtering are all carved into the rock of his principles for the foundation of the best wine he can make. The Denavolo brand began in 2005 with the first release in 2006, and comes from five hectares of vines planted in the Colli Piacentini area. Denavolo’s three hectares of steep, climbing, sandy, limestone-rich soils at 350-500 meters above sea level have an answer that awaits the right moment to be revealed. It is the quiet Giulio that will get them to speak, even if it takes another childhood to muse on. In the meantime, we will enjoy the questions.

www.denavolo.it/en/

Vino da Tavola, ‘Catavela’

25% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, 25% Ortugo, 24% Marsanne, 24% Trebbiano, 1% Santa Maria, 1% Sauvignon Blanc

From vines averaging 12 years old and planted to stony chalk soils at the very top of the hill (650m) called Campo Rotonde. The grapes are hand-harvested in early September, undergo intensive vineyard sorting, de-stemming and half of the harvest spends six days on the skins while the other half is directly pressed. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in stainless steel and lasts 15 days without temperature control. The wine spends approximately eight months on lees without stirring.

Vino da Tavola, ‘Dinavolino

25% Malavasia di Candia Aromatica, 25% Marsanne, 25% Ortugo, 25% yet-unknown varietal

A combination of 37 and 10 year old vines planted to clay and limestone soils on a plot called Débé at an altitude between 350-450m. The grapes are hand-harvested in the first week of September and undergo intensive vineyard sorting for only matured grapes. All grapes are de-stemmed and macerated for 8-9 months in stainless steel with spontaneous fermentation lasting for 15 days without temperature control. Unfiltered.

Vino da Tavola, ‘Dinavolo

25% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, 25% Marsanne, 25% Ortugo, and 25% yet-unknown varietal

This blend comes from 28 year old vines grown on the highest portion of Giulio’s sloping, calcareous vineyards. All destemmed fruit first goes into a steel tank, left to macerate for 10 months and ferments for one to three weeks while on the skins. There are seven to eight pump-overs per day to agitate, and only natural yeast is used. The wine is then transferred to older oak barrels for three months to age. In total, about four months are spent on the skins, with minimal amounts of sulfur added at bottling.