Passionate about mountains as well as wine, Albino Armani seeks out fragile territories to care for. Strictly mountain or high hill, sloping possibly, in an inevitable pandering to the forms of nature.
I got lost in the stories of Albino Armani about his passion for wine but especially for the mountains. Lost and then found again in those goblets that were able to speak and confirm the intentions and plans of a producer who goes after hostile territories while perceiving their fragility.
The concept that seems to underlie everything is the taking care of the land. Identifying, with rare sensitivity, their frailties. A stylistic exercise, which together with good vineyard and cellar practice succeeds in bringing a clear message to the bottle. To do this an overall vision and good teamwork are among the basic ingredients.
When I talk about Albino Armani I am talking about a flesh-and-blood person, certainly, but not only that. Albino is the owner and founder of the eponymous company, he is also (in his spare time, he says) president of the largest Italian doc (by the way, read here if you like: https://www.doctorwine.wine/degustazioni/la-case-history-del-pinot-grigio-delle-venezie/). But Albino Armani today is also a brand that gathers under its wing well four companies from four territories And three regions. Trentino, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. One characteristic out of all of them unites them: the altitude. Strictly mountain or high hill territories, sloping possibly, in an inevitable pandering to the forms of nature.
In the company in addition to Albino are. Egle, his wife who lends her name to one of my favorite wines, Valpolicella Superiore, and Federico, their son as well as an eclectic character with unsurprising insights. The origin of the Armani family in viticulture is historical, dating back to 1607 with the earliest established records. Now as then, he feels that he belongs to the earth, just “like the stones, the river and the plants.”
The concept of fragility
Nontrivial and essential seems to be the concept of fragility. It returns often in Albino Armani’s stories and seems to be at the very root of his choices in identifying the next territory to care for. Nothing can be taken for granted, and To claim to master nature would be just too much. At most one can play, strengthened by the experience of the years behind him, to predict his moves. Aware that they are testing themselves with an outclass, in a challenge lost at the start but where the important thing is to participate because you will come out, though defeated, always a winner in knowledge and experience. Make no mistake, the approach is practical, knowledgeable and scientific but never forced and ready to be surprised.
Wines
From these assumptions Albino Armani wines are born. Starting with the Trento Doc, classic method from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Essential, vertical, free to express themselves without sugar dosage. Straightforward, deep and complex.
It comes down, but very slightly, in height when it comes to Valpolicella. Marano Valley, we are in Valpolicella Classica, in the upper (550 m), sloping part, where the vineyards, kept in a basin that enjoys few but good hours of sunshine a day, cradled by the wind from the mountains behind, dominate the plain below. You see it, but you don’t touch it. No light pollution, sporadic cars from residents. A wine tourism stop to be reached at least once in a lifetime. The terrace, which is a garden, is unique and allows one not only to enjoy the wines to the fullest but to make peace with oneself for a moment. The winery is 10 years old, perfectly integrated into the territory is dressed in native materials, from stones to pebbles.
Similar pattern, other territory, in Friuli Venezia Giulia at Lands of Plovia. Where the mountain is behind. Here we engage in a truly unique project of recovering ancient forgotten varieties. Exploring their lost taste and their functional characteristics for modern times. Speaking of forgotten varieties a focus should be devoted to Foja Tonda.
The Foja Tonda, that is, the Casetta
There are grape varieties, and consequently wines, that oscillate between being an obsession and a mission. A perfect example of this is the Casetta, in dialect Foja Tonda, and to get to know it we have to go back to Veneto and move to the border territory of the Valdadige. Ancient variety with ancestral and wild origins. To date guarded by the Albino Armani winery, which is working to preserve and perpetrate it in the name of conservation and where necessary genetic improvement. Wild, generous, naturally hardy. Authentic. Its story is reminiscent of that of the, slightly more famous, Enantio, but in the chalice it is something else entirely. It gives fragrant and fragrant wines. Flowing and complex. Rustic but delicious. I loved the story and also the taste. Of course, the Adige Valley is also and above all the home of Pinot Grigio, in its white and coppery versions.
Immersing oneself in the reality of Albino Armani is not a trivial experience.
It was worth it to get lost and then find each other again.
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TASTINGS
