JACOPO STIGLIANO
Papillon 2020
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
We can think of few fonder memories of discovering a wine than this, which was opened for aperitivo to mark the beginning of the picnic of all picnics in Jacopo’s vineyard last spring. This beautiful sparkling wine is a blend of Trebbiano, Albana, Grechetto and more from an abandoned old vineyard, which spent just a day on skins, before being pressed to vats until the following spring. A little must from the same harvest was added to bring about a second fermentation in the bottle and the wine has been resting on its lees ever since. Brilliant, straw yellow in the glass, it draws you in with gentle notes of white flowers, citrus and stones, whilst the palate is whistle clean, with every little detail in place. One of the best examples of the genre we have tried.
Trebbiano, Albana, Grechetto
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Jacopo farms around three hectares of ancient vineyards in Valsamoggia, a series of hills between Bologna and Modena in Emilia-Romagna. Originally from the province of Bologna, wine has been everything to Jacopo since a young age and after decades travelling the world he returned to Emilia in 2018. Seeking a return to his roots, upon consulting older growers in the region, he set about discovering and restoring abandoned old vineyards in the hope of bringing energy to the territory and shining a light on the work of the vignaioli of old.
Lined with trees, the vines are up to one hundred years of age and grow amongst woods and orchards, occasionally right up in the canopy. Harking back to a tradition of Italian agriculture celebrated in another age, they are home to over twenty varieties, making for a kind of open air library of grapes. Planted on hillsides between two hundred and three hundred metres above sea level, the soils are a mix of clay and limestone and littered with stones, lending the wines a pronounced minerality.
Jacopo’s work in the vineyards is focused on retaining this incredible diversity. He does everything by hand and does not work the soil, trying not to interfere with these complex ecosystems. He believes that diversity brings richness and complexity to both life and wine and that each variety is planted here brings a sense of harmony.
All grapes are harvested, fermented and aged together, paying respect to the Italian tradition of the field blend and in the cantina his work is simple and precise. Believing that wine is made in the vineyard, Jacopo eschews the use of technology and bottles his wines unfiltered, with nothing added at any stage.
His complex, nourishing wines offer fascinating expressions of vineyards which are truly unique.
Photo: Giulia Nutricati