Milanesi: Philosophy and Essence of Organic Wine

Oltrepo' Pavese is an Italian treasure nestled in the Lombardy region between Piemonte, Emilia and Liguria. This territorial boundary gives this enological pearl beyond the Po the curious shape of a grape cluster. A destiny already written for this land since antiquity, famous especially among the nobility for its excellent wine as well as its many scenic riches. Quality and drinking well still go hand in hand today in this particular area south of the Po, where the eye gets lost among the numerous rows of vines stretching one after another.
The Azienda Agricola Milanesi, a solid reality dating back to the 1800s, enhances the locality of Santa Giuletta, occupying the first hillside belt of the Oltrepò.

The strategic south-east/south-west exposure of the vineyards means that the vines are sheltered from the northern winds, taking only the best from the currents coming from the Golfo del Tigullio.

In addition to enjoying a favorable exposure, the lush vines sink their roots into a sandy, skeleton-rich terrain; also very important is the presence of aquifers that come to the aid of the vines during the driest periods.
The interaction between environment and territory does nothing but create a favorable microclimate (I certainly did not expect to find capers in this wonderful Lombard territory!)

A family-run Azienda Agricola with a farmer's vision, as the owner still performs most of the work manually, giving proper care to each vine because it is precisely there that the quality of the future wine begins to be determined.
Always opposed to herbicides and other chemical products used in the vineyard, Milanesi received in 2007 the well-deserved recognition as an Azienda Biologica.

In respect of the plant, he therefore cultivates Pinot nero, used mainly for the metodo classico, and Riesling Italico, Barbera, Cortese along with other international varieties, covering almost eleven hectares of land.
Cordone speronato and Guyot are the training systems chosen, often difficult to work given the steep slopes, but the effort is forgotten as soon as you sip the wines that are the fruit of serious work in the vineyard.

Yields are very low – beyond being a quality choice, it is also an act of love and devotion toward the plant.
The metodo classico "according to Milanesi" is a metodo classico that does not include Chardonnay, as it is susceptible to flavescence dorée (a disease well known to winegrowers) which represents a threat to an organic estate.
The clusters selected and carefully chosen for the spumante are harvested at full ripeness, as opposed to the classic early harvests that instead seek the so-called "acid backbone." For Milanesi, in fact, a riper grape gives the spumante everything it needs without the addition of various dosages.

Consistent with the company's philosophy, remuage is performed manually sur pupitre, as is the disgorgement carried out à la volée. These steps, executed with skill and professionalism – but above all artisanally – make this particular metodo classico an even more special product.

Vesna, elegant bubbles made entirely from Pinot Nero, each one telling the story of this grape variety's typicity. Structured and persistent both on the palate and in the glass itself! Once the wine is drunk, all the fragrant aromas of the spumante remain intact on the glass.
Pinot nero is also expressed at its best in red vinification, using only cement tanks. Neroir is a red that evolves directly in the glass. Its olfactory and gustatory profile changes and amplifies depending on the time spent in the glass.
Drunk right after opening it reveals a charming character; after about half an hour balsamic notes appear more intensely... the following day it reaches a truly surprising balance!
Continuing with the Cru, Alessandro, Cabernet Sauvignon harvested by hand with careful selection of the best clusters capable of best withstanding the entire journey of fermentation and aging in noble wood barrique. Aromas of ripe fruit are accompanied by ethereal notes that pave the way for balsamic tones ever-present in all the estate's reds. It leaves the palate elegantly dried by a soft tannin.

Barbera for Elisa, a wine almost for meditation, intense in aromas of sweet spices and fruit in spirit, elegant and robust, it leaves the mouth velvety and cradled by a pleasant persistence. So harmonious and balanced that the taster is not overwhelmed or disturbed by the wine's fifteen degrees.
Barbera and a rare grape variety contribute to the making of Monica, a more "immediate" red thanks to its round aromas of ripe fruit that one almost feels like chewing at the moment of tasting.
A pleasant persistence that encourages drinking of this red, which rests for eighteen months in cement tanks and undergoes bottle aging for two years.

"From the grape comes the wine – it decides everything, both the quality and the character of the wine itself! Wood, any liqueur for the sparkling wines are merely additions" – with this enological vision, Milanesi leads his estate and his products along a quality journey that is anything but predictable, and his white wines are proof of that.
Even reserves from 2004 remain intact, bearing witness to the excellent raw material. The character and exuberance of his wines, which he produces only in favorable vintages, communicate the richness of this territory that reveals itself proudly in the glass.