agricola le rose
The Land
The Castelli Romani (or “Roman Castles”) are a group of villages spread south-east of Rome in an ancient volcanic area (the two local lakes, Nemi and Albano, are actually two craters).
Starting from the ancient Roman era, it was an area frequented by the noblemen of Rome for its fresher climate during summer: the tradition was followed by the Popes which still have their summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, on the Lake Albano.
The volcanic soil, the southern sea breeze and the shelter provided by the Apennines mountains had created an outstanding wine-producing area with a millennial tradition
The People
The small estate was created in 2003 by Aldo Piccarreta under the guidance of famed winemaker Luca D’Attoma.
Since the beginning, for Aldo the paramount principle was to safeguarding this corner of paradise. This concept is behind every decision in the farm: from the organic certification, to the photovoltaic panels to make the winery self-sustainable, to the choice of using seaweed and wild nettles instead of copper and sulphur for weeds control.
Yields are kept well below the limits to focus on quality; while the labels are original drawings made by Aldo’s wife when she was a teenager
The Wines
Verdicchio IGT Lazio “Ladybug”
selected grapes are sent to the soft press, where the free-run must is approximately 53% of the initial mass. From the extraction of the juice onwards, all the processes take place in the absence of oxygen and at a controlled temperature.
Fermentation takes place in cement tanks, which naturally maintain the temperature around 14°C and it’s started with selected certified organic yeast. At the end of the process the wine is transferred to stainless steel tanks, with minimal addition of the sulphites thanks to the careful use of cold.
Fresh and zesty, with notes of almonds and peppermint.
Malvasia Puntinata Lazio IGT “Artemisia”
Malvasia puntinata is a native vine of the area with ancient origins which only recently has been rediscovered by the public.
Artemisia is made with a selection of the best grapes hand-harvested and vinified at a controlled temperature in order to preserve all the characteristics and aromas of this unique variety.
Fragrant and well balanced, with notes of thyme, fennel, oregano and peppermint – Artemisia is the full expression of the potential of the territory and represents the updated version of the wines of the Roman tradition made with of modern viticulture techniques
Cesanese Lazio IGT “La Faiola Rosso”
100% Cesanese grapes hand-harvested from vineyards of different ages to create a unique, fresh and rich wine.
After soft pressing and cold fermentation, the wine remains for four months in concrete vats, four in large oak barrels and another four in bottles for refinement.
The result is an aromatic wine, with delicate tannins and lovely aromas of violet, black cherry, eucalyptus and maraschino.
