Abbia Novà Berlame 2021

With Abbia Novà, from the cousins Proietti, Daniele & Pierluca, we are putting our shoulders to the wheel for the first time in the history of Crombé, the relatively unknown wine region that Lazio, in central Italy, ultimately is. Unknown, yes. But not unimportant. Just look at historically important grapes, such as Cesanese di Affile, Passerina, Fosco Peloso, Ottonese and Nostrano. Or zones that have been praised for their quality wines since Roman times, such as Piglio. Then we have Abbia Nova, a prestigious & acclaimed project of only a few tens of thousands of bottles per year. With their 7HA, Daniele & Pierluca could easily jump higher, but the gentlemen refuse to do so. They use a completely 'natural' approach, both in the vineyard (not even a copper!) and in the cellar (#noso2). Cesanese di Affile & Passerina are also very fickle grapes that demand a lot of attention and only really come into their own with a very low yield. And in the cellar? A small country house, high in the mountains, on the old consular Roman road. A cellar consisting of only two rooms with amphorae, concrete tanks, barrels and dame-jeannes. Authentic wines, with a story and a unique (taste) profile thanks to factors such as region, soil or the cèpages.