DENAVOLO, estate in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, created in 2005 by oenologist Giulio Armani (winemaker for La Stoppa) when he bought an old organic vineyard (see below) near Piacenza. His first wine was released in 2006. 

OWNER | Giulio Armani. 

VINEYARDS | 3ha (8 acres) in the Colli Piacentini DOC (but not bottled as such). 400-500 metres. Limestone soils. Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Marsanne, Ortrugo, Trebbiano Romagnolo and other native Italian wine grape varieties.

WHITE WINES

CATAVELA | A blend of two wines, the first being from the same vines as for Dinavolino which spend 4 months on skins, and the second is from two plots planted in 2006 called Cassinera (1ha of Malvasia di Candia Aromatica and Marsanne), and Campo Rotond (2ha of Otrugo, Trebbiano, Malvasia and marsanne, plus Santa maria, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat).

DINAVOLO | 2007 Vino da Tavola Bianco Italiano 20 days on skins. Bottled later than the Dinavolino (see below). Savoury, almost botrytic/passito nose when tasted at the La Stoppa winery Friday 21 October 2011. / 2009 25% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, 25% Marsanne, 25% Ortrugo and 25% of an unidentified grape variety.

DINAVOLINO | Doug Wregg says (in Les Caves de Pyrene list, July 2011) Dinavolino comes ‘from vines grown in a beautiful isolated old organic vineyard in the hills of Piacenza (Emilia), that Giulio Armani rents close to his own personal vineyard of Denavolo, with an e, named after a local mountain. However, under EEC rules apparently, a table wine [meaning neither IGT, DOC or DOCG] can’t be given the name of a place, hence the corruption Dinavolo. 25% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, 25% Marsanne, 25% Ortrugo and 25% of an unidentified grape variety. There is no wood. The length of maceration [of the wine on skins]varies according to the richness of the vintage. In 2006, for example, the wine was macerated for twelve months.’ /  2005 Vino Bianco Italiano Long skin contact. Very dense, Gravner style at the Natural Wine Fair 2011. / 2008 Vino Bianco Italiano Nice depth, twist of tangerine fruit at the Natural Wine Fair 2011. / 2010 Vino Bianco Italiano Orange wine. Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo, Semillon, Trebbiano. 2 weeks on skins. No added sulfites. Chalky citrus at the Natural Wine Fair, Borough Market 15-17 May 2011. / 2013 Unfiltered. Cidery, savoury at ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Artisanal Wines’ seminar which I co-hosted at VinItaly 24th March 2015.

CONTACT

Azienda Agricola Denavolo / www.denavolo.it

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Doug Wregg, Les Caves de Pyrene list, July 2011

Isabelle Legeron MW, Natural Wine, An introduction to organic and biodynamic wines grown naturally (2014, Cico Books, London & New York), p166.

Natural Wine Fair 2011, Borough Market 15-17 May.