Cantine Del Notaio Societa' Agricola Arl

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About Winery and Wines

i think I was about seven years old and I remember it as if it were yesterday. I went to have a look at my grandfather’s vineyard and I found him bent over a vine. He was a stern man and I was always awed by him, but there among his vines he had a serene and unusually sweet expression. He turned and saw me, and was suddenly serious again. “Hey, repeat your name!” he said. I was really frightened. Grandfather’s going mad, I thought. He can’t remember my name! I started to run away, but he took by the arm and asked again, “Quickly”, tell me, what’s your name?” “Gerardo”, I answered, in a small voice. “Your name’s Gerardo”, he said, “the same as mine. That’s why my vineyards will be yours one day”. When I remember him now, it makes me smile when I think how proud I was, more than thirty years and many adventures later; to claim my roots in my grandfather’s legacy and make it the focus of my life. I know now that the real legacy I inherited goes beyond vineyards: it is a legacy of values, a love for things “done properly”; a desire to accomplish rather than to possess. And so I would like to dedicate everything I have done and will do to my family. To my grandfather, who quietly pointed out what proved to be the right path for me to follow. To my parents and especially my father, a notary public, who taught me the determination to achieve goals and the respect for tradition. To my mother-in-law with her extraordinary generosity and strength. And to my father-in-law, a remarkable man who would undoubtedly have continued to encourage me with his inimitable enthusiasm and love for life. And my Wife? I can only say that without her, this adventure would never have even begun!

The Aglianico grape has been well known since ancient Greek times. Celebrated by the Latin poet Horace, it is grown on the slopes of Mount Vulture. And this is the origin of the three natural factors determining the constitution and ripening of these grapes. Firstly, the volcanic soil is fertile and rich in particular mineral elements. Then the tufo rock layers, deep down, act as water reservoirs during the drier periods of the year: what the local peasants call “milking the tufo”. Thirdly there is the unique micro-climate. The bunches of fruit are carefully selected and knowledgeably handled; they will yield a strong wine with a notable personality, precious ruby red color and complex aromas. For this reason, our Winery has paid especial attention to its choice of vineyards. Our 26 hectares, (approx. 62 acres) are distributed amongst the most characteristic and renowned hillsides in the Mount Vulture area, (the villages of Rionero, Barile, Ripacandida, Maschito e Ginestra), and possess vines more than a hundred years old. These areas have different soils, (sand, volcanic residue, medium consistency or clay ) but the same layer of volcanic tufo in common, and a pedoclimatic exposition which allows for perfect ripening of the grapes, amongst the very latest to be harvested (mid-October to mid-November).