Bianco 2024 - Samodia

Samodia is a collaborative winemaking project founded by Jacopo Stigliano and Flavio Restani, both from Valsamoggia, where their project is based. A valley in the foothills of the Apennines in Emilia-Romagna, Samodia is the old Latin name for the valley, a historical reference that tells the story of what these inspired friends aim to achieve through their work. Existing at the frontier between Bologna and Modena, the valley is a melting pot of the viticultural traditions of the wider region, preserving in its vineyards a tether to Valsamoggia’s longstanding viticultural legacy. Taking inspiration from the old masters of the region, Antonio Ognibene, Giorgio Erioli and Vittorio Graziano, Samodia represents a passing of the baton of sorts, carrying the gestures developed over millennia in both the vineyards and the cellar, forward into the next generation. The first vintage for Samodia was in 2023, when the two friends rented three hectares of vines at the top of the valley, between 400 and 500 metres above sea level, on the limestone and clay soils that predominate here.

Their idea is to produce three wines each year, a red, white and sparkling. In this approach they oppose the commodification of wine and the faddish forces that shape contemporary wine discourse. They make vino per tutti, made the old way, using the old techniques inherited from the generations gone by. With many of these old vineyards being uprooted and replanted with tillage, or simply abandoned, their work is vital to the preservation of this valley's identity in the face of encroaching homogenisation and urbanity. Producing just 13,000 to 20,000 bottles a year, these are among the most rewarding wines we've tasted in recent years. They are wines for any occasion, as intended.

Samodia is the old Latin name for Valsamoggia, which is itself named for the Samoggia river that runs down through the Apennines between Bologna and Modena. The old vines that grow here follow the Emilian tradition of mixed farming, with fruit trees and several varieties all planted on one site. Up here, at the top of the valley, the temperatures allow for slower ripening than below, helping to preserve acidity in this warm climate. Valsamoggia's position at the border between Bologna and Modena is described by the varieties planted here, particularly the trebbiano vines. Trebbiano was used in medieval times to describe vigorous varieties, about the only characteristic these two share. Trebbiano Modenese is known for its edgy acidity, often used in the production of balsamic vinegar. Trebbiano Romagnolo is a true workhorse with a relatively neutral profile, used most commonly in sparkling wines or easy drinking whites. They form part of the architecture for this wine, framing grapes like Albana, considered the great golden grape of Romagna with its almond and stone fruit register, Montuni with its soft citrus, and pignoletto's almond skin bitterness. So much history in one bottle.

Grapes: Pignoletto, Albana, Montuni, Trebbiano Romagnolo, Trebbiano Modenese, Moscato

Region: Valsamoggia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy