Pievalta
The Pievalta estate is located in the municipality of Maiolati Spontini, in the Marche region, in the heart of the Castelli di Jesi. This area is famous for its small fortified medieval villages as well as for the production of wines made from the Verdicchio grape.
Silvano Brescianini, the manager of the Barone Pizzini winery (Franciacorta region), founded the Pievalta winery in 2002. Already at that time, he saw the great potential of the Verdicchio grape variety. Establishing and operating a vineyard outside its own appellation seemed to him the obvious and logical step to take.
He then turned to the young Milanese oenologist Alessandro Fenino who had previously helped him for a few years on this estate in Lombardy; he was the right man to set up a new winery, immediately setting himself to an in-depth analysis of the Verdicchio grape. Fenino had been cultivating the existing vineyards organically since 2003 - that is, since the beginning - the first certified vintage being that of 2006. As early as 2005, he also adopted biodynamic viticulture and in 2008, he presented the first certified Demeter vintage. Since 2018, all wines carry the certified label "Biodyvin" instead of Demeter.
White wines from Pievalta
from Pievalta
The estate extends over 26.5 hectares, 21.5 hectares of which are in Maiolati Spontini, around the winery. Maiolati Spontini is situated on the left bank of the river Esino. Wines from this side of the river are known for their minerality, freshness and fruitiness; many vines were planted there in the 1970s. Today, the vines are cultivated at a higher density and by applying modern vinification systems. Maiolati's soils consist mainly of clay and of limestone.
The other and smaller vineyard lies in the San Paolo di Jesi area, in the village of Follonica. Situated at high altitude, well aerated and known for its classic granite sandstone, the commune of Castelli di Jesi is an ideal place for the production of subtle wines.
In spite of the great operational challenges involved, almost all operations in the vineyards are carried out by hand. The work in the winery is always guided by the motto "As little intervention as possible in natural processes" to ensure that the characteristics of the grapes and those of the terroir stand out first and continue to develop.
Producer
J. & M. Dizerens
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Château Raymond Lafon
Located in the heart of the Sauternes area, this winery comprises 18 hectares, 16 of which planted with 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The maximum yield by law is 25 hectolitres per hectare. The yields at Raymond-Lafon average only 8 to 10 hectolitres per hectare; in other words, one vine will produce only one glass of delicious wine. Over several pickings, the grapes are harvested one by one according to their level of maturity. In some years, this can result in up to ten selected hand harvests. This alone lets one appreciate the great value of this wine.
Bodega Palacios Remondo
He was born 'at home', right above his father's bodega – Álvaro Palacios, Spains star vintner. The scent of wine and barrels must have been lying in the air and thus dictated his further life. He studied oenology in Bordeaux and gathered professional experience at the Château Pétrus, and in London, Dublin, and California. Today, he owns vines in the Priorat county, in Bierzo, and at home in the Rioja, and proves his extraordinary talent with premium wines year after year.