Noelia Ricci

Predappio - Romagna | Marco Cirese

ORGANIC - BIODYNAMIC - MINIMAL INTERVENTION

As a spectator of the wines from Emilia Romagna for a few years, and an importer for the last couple, I can say with reasonable confidence that this region is going places in the world of fine wine. The fact that ER doesn’t have years of legacy as its famous Tuscan counterpart does is, I believe, a blessing in our digital age. Now the area is able to craft its own future, shining the light on both its unique microclimates and clone of Sangiovese, rather than raffia bottles and questionable DOCG classifications.

That is precisely the aim of Tenuta Pandolfa with their Noelia Ricci label; wines driven by the vineyard.

Around 4 years ago, the winery decided to convert the 8ha dedicated to Noelia Ricci to fully sustainable practices, first through integrated farming and most recently (just this year) a full schedule of biodynamic farming using only organic fertilis- ers and pest control. Winemaker at Tenuta Pandolfa, Francesco Bordini says of the conversion, ‘We would love to be faster, but nature takes time and it is part of our seriousness go with it’. He tells us that the soil needs time to recover its fertility and its microbiological activity, not over weeks or months but over years. Thus, 2016 will see the first year of truly natural winemaking, where the wines in vintages preceding it were the incredible products of this gradual conversion.

So incredible were they, that the Cru Sangiovese Godenza was one of only six Sangiovese di Romagna wines to win Tre Bic- chieri in Gambero Rosso’s 2017 guide. That is reason enough to be taking the wines of Noelia Ricci seriously not only on the local stage, but also on the international one. Godenza took up the mantle from Il Sangiovese, effectively the junior red wine, which won it the year prior. A lot can be said for the validity of these awards, however most respected commentators do place the annual Vini d’Italia guide from Gambero Rosso at the top of the (growing) pile of Italian wine publications. It, along with the huge response we’ve had so far from these wines, is enough justification for us to really believe that Emilia Romagna’s wines are here to stay

2019 BIANCO ‘BRO’ (TREBBIANO/BOMBINO}

Delicately scented with orange blossom, dried wattle, lemon zest and stone fruit characters. The palate is extremely complex with intense flavours of apricots and salted pistachio. The finish is persistent with a salty mineral crunch.

2019 SANGIOVESE ‘IL SANGIOVESE’

Sangiovese is the most widely planted wine grape in Italy. Sangiovese is the main variety in many great Italian wines like Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and the modern inclination of a Super Tuscan. The grapevine can be found growing worldwide, such as in Australia, California, and Washington. At Lynfred we have recreated this iconic variety in a fully ripened style, produced with very ripe grapes, like those grapes harvested during Tuscany’s sunny summer. Enjoy this bold wine with your favorite Tuscan-inspired cuisine!

2019 SANGIOVESE ‘GODENZA’

Outer quote mark Sharply focused, spicy and perfumed, the 2019 Sangiovese Godenza mixes tart cherries, wild strawberries, sage and underbrush with complementing hints of leather strap and cocoa. It’s much more restrained on the palate than its bouquet would lead you to expect, with a silky wave of red and black berries offset by brisk acids and salty minerals that saturate toward the close. Through it all, zesty acids maintain balance even as grippy tannins saturate, leaving a classically dry yet angular impression through the finale. The 2019 Godenza will require a few years of cellaring to fully blossom. (EG) Inner quote mark (9/2021)