Bill Gates once said that going to bed without having done anything new compared to the previous day means wasting that day: honestly, it’s hard to argue with him.
For those who love wine, for those who write about it, not wasting days is vital. This practically means tasting wines whose existence was previously unknown, discovering wineries, and meeting new faces among producers, especially those who have recently entered the vast ocean of the wine world and are thus brimming with enthusiasm.
Poggio Levante
It was certainly not a wasted day to encounter the wines of Poggio Levante. The winery is nestled in the heart of Maremma in Grosseto, at the foothills of Mount Amiata, approximately 40 kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea.
It cultivates about three hectares of vineyards at an elevation ranging from 300 to 350 meters above sea level. The owner is the young Venetian Alberto Facco, who, when asked why a Venetian makes wine in Maremma, replied:
I, like my family, am 100% Venetian. My father owns a company that sells tractors and agricultural equipment. In 2002/2003, my father sold a supply to a customer originally from Padua who moved to Monticello Amiata, a village not far from Cinigiano. My father was captivated by the charm and beauty of the Tuscan hills and decided to buy land, where the vineyard was planted a few years later. In the early years of production, we traded grapes for agricultural work needed to maintain the land properly. Only since 2018 have we embarked on the Poggio Levante project, which blends the Tuscan territory with Venetian verve to create wines with modern and distinctive characteristics.
Alberto Facco
Our goal is niche production, where the pursuit of maximum quality and expression of the grape/terroir combination is our guiding star. Alongside winemaker Guido Busatto, who has extensive experience in organic viticulture, Poggio Levante is working to achieve an increasingly recognizable product. We are aware that the recognition of a wine is a lengthy process, but we are committed to overcoming this challenge so that a consumer when tasting our Vermentino or Sangiovese, can associate them with the name Poggio Levante.”
For Poggio Levante, wine is a 360-degree experience; thus, even packaging plays a crucial role in communicating a message of excellence. The choice of lighter bottles reduces the carbon footprint, while the labels express personality in line with the company’s mission: to offer new products that remain true to their territory and varietals.
The young man has clear ideas, there’s no doubt about it, but in the end, it’s always the bottle that speaks, and there’s no escaping that fact.
It must be said immediately that Poggio Levante’s wines are a delightful surprise. Currently, Poggio Levante produces around 13,000 bottles divided into two types of wines: Vermentino and Sangiovese.
Unné, the flagship
The flagship wine is Unnè, an unconventional Vermentino named after the Tuscan exclamation “Unnè,” meaning “it’s not what it seems.” Poggio Levante intends to produce a Vermentino that surprises with its quality, sensory properties, and the image it presents, housed in a Rhein-style bottle with a screw cap. Released on the market no sooner than three years after harvest as DOC Maremma Toscana, I had the opportunity to taste the 2019 vintage. It presents a distinctly intense bouquet of flowers, citrus, and flinty minerals. On the palate, it is savory and dynamic, securing its place in the top ten whites tasted in 2023.
Ovvìa Doc Maremma Toscana
Then there’s Il Sangiovese Ovvìa, originating from a vineyard within the Montecucco denomination and bottled as DOC Maremma Toscana. The soil is marly and galestro with a significant clay component. The vineyard, managed under organic practices, is ten years old and oriented northward. It has about 4,500 plants per hectare, yielding 50 quintals per hectare. Ovvìa matures in 15 hl oval French oak barrels and 20 hl unglazed concrete tanks. The aging process lasts approximately 18 months, followed by a minimum of 5 months in the bottle.The first vintage came out in 2018, and I had the pleasure of tasting the current market offering, the 2019. The aroma is crisp and intriguing, with notes of red fruits, cherries, and a delicate spiciness. On the palate, it boasts remarkable balsamic tones and depth, easily justifying the label of “high drinkability”.
Vermut Sergio
Completing the company’s range is a small gem, the artisanal Vermut Sergio.
Alberto dedicated Sergio Vermouth to his grandfather. It aims to highlight the quality of Sangiovese, used as its base, creating an authentic product with a strong territorial identity. The processing of botanicals faithfully respects the characteristics of the plants, extracting their typical aromatic notes. Various alcohol infusions and tinctures are employed to achieve different intensities.
We will certainly hear more about Poggio Levante, that’s for sure.