L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 36 L'Italo-Americano Podere Marcampo: An Encounter with Passion A pproaching Volterra by car from the north, the countryside slowly takes on the sparse character of a lunar landscape. The panorama is at once strange and compellingly beautiful. Stepping out from the car into intense sunshine, I am surrounded by mad quiet, the kind of silence that makes you attentive to your surroundings. Solid earth slopes and crests as if trying to adjust itself for an audience with thirty centuries of noble history dating back to Volterra's Etruscan beginnings in the 8th century B.C. A w e l c o m i n g " C i a o o o o " fractures the noiselessness as Podere Marcampo export mana- ger Claudia Del Duca walks over to greet us, joined in a moment by her father, proprietor G e n u i n o D e l D u c a . S h e i s buoyantly enthusiastic, counter- balanced by the more reserved Genuino, ex-policeman and buil- der turned restauranteur, who b o u g h t a n d r e n o v a t e d t h e Marcampo property during the e a r l y 2 0 0 0 ' s . L o c a t e d i n t h e heart of National Park of Balze and Calanchi, the property's ori- ginal building dates back to the 18th century, abandoned to ruin around 1950. Today, the new c o u n t r y h o u s e a t M a r c a m p o a c c o m m o d a t e s t h e w i n e r y , family quarters, guest rooms and apartments. Marcampo's vineyards sit on hard blue clay making it difficult for vines to establish deep root systems. Salt rich soil with high mineral content, testimony to the past presence of ancient seas, doesn't make things any easier. Marcampo's vineyards require irrigation with water Genuino must necessarily bring in via truck. All this, combined with solicited but discouraging pro- fessional opinions regarding the site's suitability for viticulture w o u l d b e e n o u g h t o d a m p e n anyone's enthusiasm for the task at hand. However, at Marcampo, to meet the challenge of what nature has given is considered a p r i v i l e g e , a p p r o a c h e d w i t h respect and the utmost care. I r e f l e c t , f o r a p r i v a t e moment, on what could only be a d i f f i c u l t r e l a t i o n s h i p h e r e between soil and vine. Vines that struggle produce better wines. But, in vine terms, this is, well, no day at the beach. I must tell you now that "pas- sion" has become the most tired, o v e r u s e d , a n d p e r h a p s o v e r - relied upon word in wine world narrative, in most cases. But, that is not the case at Marcampo. To make world class wine in spite of such natural obstacles takes nothing short of passion. Podere Marcampo has earned the right to use that word. Rather than disguise or chan- ge anything that nature has given them, Claudia and Genuino are committed to respecting the cha- r a c t e r o f t h e i r w i n e s a n d allowing them to be a perfect expression of the territory. "Why s h o u l d o n e d o t h i n g s i n t h e vineyard or cellar that standardi- ze the wines? We must instead do things that reflect and preser- ve the territory," says Claudia. "We use the wood barrel as a tool to enrich but not to flavor the wine," she adds. Podere Marcampo produces wines from selections of Merlot and Sangiovese grapes under the T o s c a n a I G T d e n o m i n a t i o n . Genuino and Claudia work the vineyards by hand, supplying most of the elbow grease them- selves. The wines evoke a saline minerality, a theme that seems not atypical of many wines from the stretch of territory between Volterra and San Miniato. That Claudia, Genuino and mother Ivana also operate a fine dining restaurant in Volterra underscores the importance of their wines' drinkability with food. The Del Duca family pro- vided an opportunity to taste the wines at their restaurant with food prepared by Ivana, who is t h e r e s t a u r a n t ' s c h e f . M a r c a m p o ' s a w a r d w i n n i n g w i n e G i u s t o A l l e B a l z e , s o named with a nod to le balze, the area's sandy cliffs, demonstrated its prowess at table when paired with foie gras. Convincing testi- mony w as als o given by the 2012 and 2013 vintages of the e s t a t e ' s w i n e M a r c a m p o , a 5 0 / 5 0 b l e n d o f M e r l o t a n d Sangiovese, when tasted with wild boar pate. Severus, 100% Sangiovese aged in second pas- sage French oak, served side by side with risotto, provided no less evidence that Marcampo's wines elevate the food experien- ce. Leaving Volterra and Podere Marcampo, I am briefly over- taken by a feeling of melan- choly. Time begins to thin out somehow as the first signs of industry pass by the car window. A s e n s e o f t h e m a g i c a l a n d mysterious begins to fade and Etruscans once again become something more of book pages than of life. But, it is for that tired, overused, over-relied upon word of wine, passion, having found it refreshed, energized and so alive at Marcampo, and now to leave it behind, that I am most wistful in driving away. Alas, it belongs there at Marcampo. Tasting Note Podere Marcampo Giusto Alle Balze 2013 Deeply hued, 100% Merlot sings with rich notes of cherry, plum and spice. Issues power and balance, is never aggressive. F l e s h y a n d e n e r g e t i c i n t h e mouth, the wine is uniquely expressive, saline, minerals, and pleasantly unexpectedly tannic grip. Podere Marcampo export manager Claudia Del Duca WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES JOEL MACK THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017 SELLING HOMES THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA Adele Della Santina "e Right Realtor makes all the dierence." 650.400.4747 AdeleDS@aol.com www.AdeleDS.com CalBRE# 00911740 Expert in preparation, promotion, and negotiation!

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