POGGIO AL TESORO HARVEST DIARY | DIARIO DELLA VENDEMMIA 23 Credo che Poggio al Tesoro si sia già conquistata unaposizione importantenel territoriodiBolgheri, sia per l’importante estensione raggiunta – che la decreta tra le più grandi della denominazione - sia per l’altissimo livello dei riconoscimenti che ogni anno riceve. Dove la vedo tra 20 anni? Io spero di vederla nel podio delle realtà bolgheresi. La vedo inoltre nelle mani di persone che mi hanno reso possibile questa avventura, le mie figlie, che fin dall’inizio dei miei viaggi e visite a Bolgheri alla ricerca di terreni, anche se piccole, mi sono state vicine. Pur giovanissime, hanno respirato l’aria del territorio di Bolgheri e apprezzato il territorio, con un intuito straordinario che ha fatto loro amare questo territorio così come la amo io. 20 years have passed since the beginning of this adventure in Bolgheri. What prompted you to put down roots in this winegrowing area? Bolgheri is a highly prestigious area with immense potential from the point of view of quality production. Loving nature and the sea, one of the characteristics that immediately attracted me to the area was its scenic beauty, dotted with wonderful and unique rural scenery. I fell in love with the landscape: it was yet another source of motivation because contact with nature is absolutely what most nourishes the human soul. So, making the decision was easy. Over the course of these 20 years, has it always been a successful, pretty linear and upward path, or did have you experienced ups and downs? Certainly, when you start from scratch the path is challenging, humanly and mentally speaking, because a business project must first of all have a soul. For me it was not a mere investment, but a fully conscious choice. The real challenge was to go to a place in order to express its potential and creativity, equipped with what was then my twenty years’ experience in Allegrini. My father had taught me the concept of absolute quality, which I immediately embraced in everything I did. A project based on quality is particularly challenging, so it was not easy: there were many ups and downs. Moreover, when dealing with nature, it is normal for conditions to present challenges, but this is part of the wonder of nature itself: every year we learn something more from the differences we have to face. From the point of view of wine management, how has it changed from the beginning to today? When we started, no attention was paid to managing the vineyards without chemicals: this was an almost epochal change, which took place in 2015. The viticultural part was always managed with great attention because, being in a territory that had great geo-pedoclimatic differences compared to the Valpolicella, we had to deal with a soil that did not at all compare with what we were used to. I got crucial support from those who, from the beginning, helped me to choose the most suitable grape varieties, transmitting the right sensitivity to enable me to understand how the specific differences could be enhanced. For example, if the soils are mainly calcareous and with good drainage in Valpolicella, when it rains during the harvest you can still go into the vineyard thanks to the texture of the soil, which deters water stagnation. In Bolgheri, on the other hand, the scenario is completely different: the soils are clayey and therefore tend to be compact, hindering the passage of tractors. This is why we have to study a series of measures that allow us to work in the best way possible, despite these differences. So, the Bolgheri experience has given me the opportunity to understand how different forms of nature can be managed intelligently and optimally. For me, vineyard management is a case of continuous learning: even if we know much more than twenty years ago, we will continue to want to learn to obtain ever better results. When a 20-year milestone is reached, one tends to draw conclusions... Are you satisfied with the results achieved so far compared with your initial objectives? I have to say yes. The vineyards have now acquired more history, as during the first few years the vines cannot provide the same results they provide after twenty years. I think we have aesthetically beautiful vineyards now; they almost look like vine gardens! In addition to the aesthetic aspect, I am very happy with the qualitative results we get fromour vineyards: very often the two things go in parallel. Poggio al Tesoro is a world-esteemed brand, and its wines are appreciated by an increasingly expert clientele. Yes, I am happy with the results achieved, but convinced that I can still look to the future with ever-increasing ambition. What are the corporate values that have made Poggio al Tesoro a benchmark in Italian wine? In addition to the quality of the products – an essential virtue for making wine – I believe the corporate value is perceived by our collaborators: an ethical and transversal approach transmitted to me by my father who had great human, let alone professional, respect for his collaborators. He did not treat people as employees, but as collaborators. I think I have also applied this approach here at Poggio al Tesoro, as that is how I am seen by the people who work in this wonderful company. Is there a wine you are particularly fond of? I would say that my favourite wine is Solosole Vermentino because it is a wine that combines a series of values. First of all, it is very good when it is young, improves with slight ageing in the bottle and becomes exceptional as it ages. We have bottles from 2007 in the company that are fantastic! It is an ideal product without ever being banal and can be consumed regularly as it has an excellent quality/price ratio. In addition, it can be easily paired with food, both vegetarian and fish cuisine. Even Pagus Camilla, which is more intense and structured and has a more marked personality, was born as a super Solosole vinified in terracotta amphorae. It comes from a small plot, identified and selected for its particular characteristics, making it an ideal habitat for the Vermentino variety. How do you see Poggio al Tesoro in 20 years? I think Poggio al Tesoro has already gained a prominent position in the Bolgheri area, because of its considerable extension – which makes it among the largest in the appellation – as well as the important level of acclaim it garners every year. Where do I see it in 20 years? I hope to see it on the podium of Bolgheri wineries. I also see it in the hands of people who made this adventure possible for me: my daughters. They have always been close to me since the beginning of my travels and visits to Bolgheri in search of land, even froma tender age. Although very young, they experienced the atmosphere of Bolgheri and appreciated the landscape, with an extraordinary intuition that made them love this territory just as I do.
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