Tenuta la Viola, Intrigo Famoso - Italy, 2024

Fast Facts:

Winemaker(s): Stefano & Lidia Gabellini
Region: Bertinoro -> Emilia-Romagna -> Italy
Varietal(s): Famoso
Terroir: Clay and limestone soils rich in Spungone (ancient marine sandstone), breezes from the Adriatic Sea
Serving Temp: 45-50°F

The Gabellini family landed in Bertinoro in 1962, coming from Romagna's countryside to claim their spot on one of the region's most beautiful hillsides. Bertinoro sits on a medieval hilltop they call "the balcony of Romagna," and the views over the plains and sea are exactly as gorgeous as they sound. Stefano runs the show alongside his mother Lidia, being early adopters of the certified organic label since 1999, going full-on biodynamic in 2018.

For decades, Tenuta La Viola was all about Sangiovese and Albana. But tucked away in their vineyards was this nearly forgotten native grape called Famoso. Literally no one was making wine from it anymore. So naturally, Stefano and Lidia thought, "Why not?" Enter Intrigo Famoso - a wine whose name literally means "Famous Intrigue."

The Famoso grape is an early ripener, picked in September before the heat gets too intense. They ferment it in stainless steel to keep everything bright and zippy, with spontaneous fermentation using native yeasts. The wine stays on its lees to build texture, but never sees oak. It's a pure, clean expression of this wildly weird grape.

Why'd we pick it?

We love a good underdog grape story, and Famoso is basically the definition of that. This varietal was nearly extinct as it didn't quite fit in with the normal characteristics and grow cycle, and yet here's a family not only keeping it alive but celebrating it beautifully. On another cool level, Tenuta La Viola has been experimenting with Georgian amphorae and pushing classic boundaries in Romagna for years. They're proper nerds and winemaking rebels, which we love.

Field Notes

• Tastes like: White peach, fresh flowers, green almond, and a splash of sea water. There's this delicious mineral salinity running through it, and I get fennel and fresh herbs. Crisp acidity with a slightly creamy mid-palate from that lees contact.
• Serve it cold! Just keep it in the fridge, pour it, let it naturally warm slightly in your glass with your swirls.
• Food Pairings: Coastal Italian goodness, please! Fresh clams with white wine and garlic? Yes. Grilled calamari with lemon and olive oil? Hell yes. Or keep it simple with some burrata, oily charcuterie, and good olive oil. If you keep this around for awhile, heirloom tomatoes would be extra delicious.