2015 Villa Venti Rubicone Rosso Sangiovese

Region: Forlì-Cesena < Emilia Romagna < Italy
Grapes: Sangiovese
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic & Biodynamic farming on red-clay and sand; fermented and aged in stainless steel; fined before bottling (vegan) with 25ppm added SO2; 13% ABV
Winemaker: Mauro Giardini & Davide Castellucci  

Villa Venti is a biodynamic estate in Emilia-Romagna that lies almost immediately on the Adriatic sea, on the far right edge of Emilia Romagna. These are wines of the Adriatic – wines of the sea, and the wind (the Venti) that constantly gets pulled into their valley via a gap immediately North of them defines the terroir. Think Petaluma almost. Being in a boxed in valley, it gets hot here- really hot. So this balance between the heat and the wind cooling it down creates a big diurnal range, which is super important for understanding where the complexity in the wines comes from. The 7-hectare estate was originally an abandoned house and hills with some vines, which Mauro’s grandfather bought it in 2002 as a retreat for the entire family. Explaining why the vineyards are East facing vs. South, Mauro says: “Ah, the Cote d’Or…the Cote d’Or faces East. All great vineyards face East. This allows for a slower maturation of the skins and polyphenols, which yields a wine of greater elegance.” The biodynamic farming here is completely focused on the roots and the root systems – they believe that healthy plants are the key to making balanced wines. Style-wise, they’re looking at Sangiovese through a Pinot Noir lense, making a lighter, more crystalline version of Sangiovese than you find in Tuscany. There is no mistaking the inherent Sangio red fruit and herbal profile, but we love the bright, crunchy berry and woodsy notes.  An incredibly versatile food wine, this works with just about anything you put in front of it. And also nothing – it’s a lovely spring sipper on its own, with a slight chill.