VILLA CALICANTUS is an organic estate in the Bardolino DOC in the Veneto, Italy. It was founded in 2011 by Daniele Delaini. He previously worked in France in IT for a bank.

VINEYARDS | 2016 1,5ha of vines (3ha of land in total) in Calmasino, in the heart of the Bardolino Classico, on the top of one of the highest hills of south-east lake of Garda. The vineyards face south-west. They are 1 mile (2km) from Lake Garda and 2okm from where the Alps begin. The climate is Mediterranean during the day, moderated by fresh air from the mountains during the night.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION | 2011 Organic since the beginning. / 2014 First vinetage with full organic certification.

WINE STYLE | Daniele told me at the winery in 2016 that his aim was to produce Bardolino capable of ageing–via indigenous grapes, organic farming, low yields (reduced to 4 or 5 tonnes per hectare instead of the permitted 9 to 12 tonnes), wild ferments, oak ageing and avoiding filtration.

PINK WINES

BARDOLINO CHIARETTO CLASSICO DOC | From moraine soils. 175m. SW-facing. / 2014 70% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, 15% Molinara and 5% Sangiovese. Hand picked. Barrel fermented for 2 months in old barrels (with the tops off I guess) and aged. Bottled 15th Feb 2015. Bottle “1,301 of 2,381” was OK, clean, a bit oaky, lacks a bit of zing in terms of fruit expression but perfectly fine on 03rd Jan 2016 in Torrenieri.

CHIA’ROTTO ADXVII | 2017 80% Corvina, 10% each Molinara and Rondinella. Wild ferment. Oak aged. No fining or filtration. 12.5% alc.

RED WINES

VENETO ROSSO | Moraine soils. 175m. SW-facing. / 2011 Riserva 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, 10% Molinara. Hand picked. Part-barrel fermented. Aged 13m in French oak.

BARDOLINO SUPERIORE DOCG | Moraine. 175m. SW-facing. / 2012 Bottle: 4,649. L01. 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, 10% Molinara. Hand picked. Fermented in steel. MLF in concrete. 10 months in French oak. Unfiltered. Little bit green, needed a day at least for the oaky nose to settle, bit thin but on the plus side once opened out it was quite perfumed and quite elegant if a bit simple, quite nice actually 12th Feb 2016 in Torrenieri.

BARDOLINO SUPERIORE DOCG CLASSIC, AVRESIR | 2015 13% alc. 70% Corvina, 15% Rondinella, 10% Molinara, 5% Sangiovese. Fermented in steel. 2 years in oak (various barrel sizes).

CONTACT

Villa Calicantus, Via Concordia, 9 – I-37011 Calmasino di Bardolino (VR = Verona), Italy / www.villacalicantus.it

VAT number: 03825730231