A visit with a winemaking friend

Jeff and I spent a night at Gianpaolo Paglia's house in the Maremma at mid-harvest.  Everyone was very busy, but our friend GPP is a gracious host and took out some time to chat, taste and take us to dinner.  

His winery, Poggio Argentiera, produces wines that rely heavily on local grape varieties -- Morellino (a subtype of Sangiovese adapted to the hot, dry Maremma climate and sandy soils) and Ansonica as well as compatible "imports" such as Cab Franc and Syrah. 

 

Poggio Argentiera (loosely translated, "silvermine hill") covers 22 hectares/55acres. This is Podere Keeling, the vineyard named for Justine Keeling, Gianpaolo's wife

We tasted the full array of Gianopaolo's wines.  The older vintages had lots of power -- were rather New World in style, the "big reds" in particular. The new vintages keep the power but embrace elegance; they are much more balanced, interesting and satisfying. His base white, 80% Ansonica and 20% Vermentino, "Guazza" (Dew) is crisper and more refreshing than before. 

With his cellarmaster and second in command, Antonio Camillo, Paglia makes a couple of extraordinary wines, one a Sauvignon Blanc ("Alture" or Heights) that is about as far from the overly aggressive New Zealand style as possible, but clearly not French either. The other is a compulsively drinkable Ciliegiolo with the brand name "Principio" (Beginning).  A damned auspicious one at that.

Here are a few photos of the visit to Gianpaolo's.

  

Gianpaolo keeps Jeff informed

In this beautifully composed shot, you will see Antonio Camillo as he flees from the American paparazzo

Gotta have the product shot.  "Bucce" (Skins) is a new entry, 100% Ansonica which spends 5-6 days touching its own skins and 18 months on the lees in cement and large oak.  Big, tannic, complex, intriguing.  

Comments

[gianpaolo]

Grazie, grazie.
But, why don't you say that the only reason you stop here is because I've got wireless connection :-) ?
Next time you come you will know the way you should eat, my mum said!
Ciao a tutti!

[Strappo]

Damn, you caught me out!

Tell mamma that I will be glad to go to her house and eat alla casalinga. Anyway, I want your parents to tell me what a rotten little kid you were.

[gianpaolo]

They will surely show you 200 pictures of when I was a little boy!