30 Act I / Poggio al Tesoro in the Spotlight 31 Act I / Poggio al Tesoro in the Spotlight Yes, ten years have passed since that moment when the Allegrini family - Marilisa, Walter, and Franco began to question themselves about their future and that of their estate; better, that of their estates as they had already, in that period, started experimenting with grape varieties which would be suitable for a larger international market. Nothing which might obscure the splendor or integrity of their valpolicella wines, but perhaps the first signal that their territory, their traditions, their province had begun to hem them in, limit their ambitions, their dreams, their aspirations. And then, one day, there were the first hints of other territories, a mention in passing of a trip which a colleague had made, a very good wine that someone had spoken about tasting. One idea leads to another and soon, slowly but surely, a first hypothesis begins to take shape, the possibility that the Valpolicella firm might be joined by another viticultural experience in another territory, in a different region. Walter and Marilisa are the most enthusiastic about the idea because Franco is a man of his cellars, always there to look after his wines, to taste them, to virtually caress and spoil them and feels no need to diversify his work. But Walter and Marilisa frequently turn again to the question, their unrest constantly increases and at times becomes so intense as to take away the breath and leave their mouths dry. Marilisa is consumed by ambition, wishes to put herself to the test, wants to try something totally new and totally different compared to her own past and the family traditions. Walter, instead, wishes to put himself to the test in a new area, a new zone, a different reality, is fascinated by the attraction of other regions, other appellations, other environments, seeks to challenge the entire world, wants to open himself to other influences, new tests to confront openly and courageously. One fine day Walter and Marilisa simply depart, the Valpolicella harvest is over and they have left Franco in the cellars to take care of the final fermentations, to see that the malolactic fermentations begin smoothly, to give a glance every so often at the grapes being dried for the Amarone and Recioto wines. After so much discussion, so many hypotheses, so many mirages they are headed for Tuscany; they had in mind a name which at that time appeared to become a sort of promised land for Tuscan producers. Many other houses, many other men and women were already moving in that direction and “the Allegrini family” did not wish to lose the opportunity, miss the train. They reached Scansano, then Manciano, and pushed as far as Roccalbenga, moving from the highest and steepest hills to the lowest and most rolling, to the place where the Maremma and the Tyrrhenian Sea are already a felt presence. Lovely hills, lovely as well the vineyards, the landscape is wide and luminous, even captivating, but no sparks are set of for either of the two. They taste the wines, the many wines of the Maremma, from Morellino di Scansano to the many IGTs made with international grape varieties, Cabernet and Syrah for the most part. Here as well: nice wines, some more elegant, others more powerful but not always with the maximum finesse. And, just as in the case of the landscape and vineyards, no sparks are set off, something has remained blocked and does not meet the expectations of Marilisa and Walter. This is not the Eldorado they had imagined. They depart again, with a demoralized ache in their stomach and a certain tightness in their throats. Courage, hope has to be kept up. “We are going to find what we’ re looking for even if heaven should fall and until we find it we are not going home!” They return to the Aurelia coastal highway heading north, the sea is on the left, then goes out of sight as they pass the Parco del’Uccellina in the Maremma, then comes back into sight near Follonica, and moves away they go past the isthmus of Piombino. But at San Vincenzo the sea returns once again, and further ahead the hills to the right move away, leaving space for the pine forests which extends as far as Cecina. Once past the Hotel Bambolo at the crossroads for Castagneto Carducci, vineyards begin to appear on the right and, just afterwards, a road sign halts them, instinctively: bolgheri. The car turns to the right and cruises up the famous cypress-lined boulevard, the longest, the most photographed, the most praised and sung in Italian poetry, four kilometers in length. Four kilometers of rises and dips which demonstrate that this is not a plain. Five minutes of craned necks, of searching glances, of a slight anxiety which rises in the chest, which troubles the two until they arrive at the gate which leads to the village of Bolgheri, with, one after another, a series Poggio al Tesoro in the Spotlight 10 years ago Act I Scene IV Next pages: The sky and earth of Valle di Cerbaia
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