Cantine Astroni
Giovanni Varchetti
BACKGROUND
It was in 1892 that Vincenzo Varchetti made the decision to turn his wine making activity into a business; a business that thrived. His son, Giovanni, returned home from WWII and began the transformation of his father’s dreams into reality. Giovanni passed his expertise and passion on to his children and grandchildren who have continued to build on the vision. The family’s winemaking history is over four generations.
The Astroni Winery, founded in 1999, is located on the outer slopes of the Astroni crater between Naples and Pozzuoli. The land is s State Nature Reserve and the Astroni Winery is committed to preserving the great enoic heritage passed down by their ancestors.
The unique corner of land is kissed by the sea and inspired by the volcanic fire. The focus is on pre-phylloxera native, ungrafted vines of Campi Flegrei dop Falanghina and Piedrosso. The volcanic wines have a clear sense of place with the presence of the land and sea in every sip.
The WIne
Falanghina grape
It has been said that the variety, Falanghina, entered in Italy from the port of Cuma, an ancient colony founded in 700 BC at the foot of the Phlegrean Fields. The Greeks cultivated their vines by leaving them to crawl on the ground. In Italy, however, this type of training system produced moldy grapes so the settlers were forced to look for an alternative method. This was how the first winemakers understood that by lifting the vines off of the ground and attaching them to wooden poles, in Latin phalangae, they avoided the onset of botrytis. From these support systems, Vinum Album Phalanginum was born, the ancestor of falanghina.
COLLE IMPERATICE
Campi flegrei dop falanghina
A clear and consistent wine, straw yellow color with golden hues and hints of green. The nose is intense, fine, and complex presenting with oral and fruity notes. The wine is dry, warm, and smooth on the palate. A good freshness and sapidity. Balanced, full-bodied wine with good persistence and intensity.
Grape Variety: Falanghina 100%
Zone: Astroni, 200 m a.s.l.
Soil: Sandy, loamy
Training system: Guyot
Yield: 70 quintals/ha
Harvest: End of September, first part of October. Manual.
Vinification: Cryomaceration. Fermented 2 weeks in stainless steel at 14-18C
Refinement: “sur lies” in steel for 4 months and bottle
ABV: 12%-12.5%
VIGNA ASTRONI CRU
Campi flegrei dop falanghina
A deep straw yellow color. Mineral notes combine elegant toasted, sweet almond and light herbaceous scents.
Sapidity is the first impact noted during tasting which is followed by a lovely acidity. These components interact well with the smoothness of the wine.
Grape Variety: Falanghina 100%
Zone: Outer slopes of the Astroni Crater. Exposure to Southeast. The grapes are from a single terraced vineyard of 1.5 hectares.
Soil: The soil has a volcanic origin and a pyroclastic form linked to the Phlegrean eruptions between 3500-500 years ago. They are defined by a layered subacid or neutral reaction lithological structure with a high quantity of potassium, phosphorous, calcium oxide, and reduced carbonites.
Training system: Guyot
Yield: 50 quintals/ha
Harvest: October. Manual.
Vinification: The grapes are harvested by hand and delivered to the winery in small crates. They are destemmed, slightly crushed, and left in pneumatic soft presses where the skins and juice macerate for a few hours. Only the the free run must is used for fermentation in stainless steel. The first part of the fermentation process is triggered by the work of indigenous yeasts but later inoculated yeasts neutral. 14-18C
Refinement: After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is racked and refined on the lees for at least 6-8 months.
ABV: 12.5%