Crocizia ‘sól e stéli’ Emilia IGT 2019

Estate: In 1992, Marco Rizzardi and his father Aurelio moved from Parma to the village of Pastorello [40 minutes south of Parma] to restore a 5 hectare farm abandoned for over 50 years. They planted 1 hectare of vines on a terrace 500 meters in elevation overlooking the Parma stream, surrounded by woods and meadows. Winemaking is complimented by Marco’s beekeeping and cider production from forest apples. All farming is biodynamic, organic and with minimal intervention.

Philosophy: “We try to respect the link between plants and the earth that makes them grow, in the strictest sense possible by accepting what nature gives us during the year, without corrections and forcing.”

Winemaking: Vines are in calcareous soil with marl outcroppings [in ancient times there was a lime quarry there]. Skin maceration for “a few days”, aged in steel, refermented with its own yeasts in the bottle the following Spring. “We do not use additives, clarifiers, stabilizers, yeasts or enzymes and we do not filter wines.” Only 1500 bottles made.

Tasting Notes: Gold orange in colour, with aromas of lemon, hay, clay minerality and Brothers Johnson funk. A play between saline minerality and creamy honey compliments lemon, mandarin orange, pink grapefruit, green papaya and tangy acidity. Good fizz runs through to mint and lemon on the chalky mineral finish. Crisp and fresh.

100% Sauvignon Blanc
Emilia IGT
Italy
12% Alcohol
$30 [average price]