Le Pianate

We first sat down with Andrea Trulli back in 2017. His family had been coming up to the small hamlet of Bevagna for years and they had purchased a 17 ha property there in 2013. From it, they would make wine and olive oil. The land had been cleared. The vineyard planted. The olive grove planted. Ever restless, Andrea had reached out to neighbors and had found a quality source of fruit from which he could begin his dream and make wine. The 2016 was his first vintage. A simple Umbrian Rosso- Sagrantino, Sangiovese, and some Merlot.

Whenever we meet a new producer, amongst the many questions and requests of information we have for them, one of the most important things we want to understand is their intention. If their intention is to make delicious, fresh, approachable, affordable wine, then we want to taste and judge their execution. If their intention is to make wine that rivals the best from their region, we will explore and taste, and judge not only their execution, but also whether they are on the path to achieving that endeavor.

Andrea Trulli has many dreams. His first dream- his first intention- was to create a family farm which produces products (wine and olive oil) that he was proud of. Check out his instagram @lepianate. We believe he has achieved this goal. His second goal will take time. "Eventually, to make a wine in the style of Bea." The beautiful thing is that he understands this will take time- he understood it even before he had vines. The Un Paio Rosso bottling demonstrates this.

To make a great, traditional riserva in Montelfalco, half a decade is needed. It takes time. Sagrantino can be a crushing varietal wine for the palate and it demands a long, slow braise in wood. But for the winery to be sustainable, a wine must be produced- one that honors the terroir, the grapes, and is delicious. It should be a rosso that carries fruit, yet is clearly from Umbria. It should be versatile, yet a wine that any Umbrian would be proud to serve as the house wine at their family table. It should be affordable.

As Andrea described his dream to us, his intention with Un Paio made sense. It was a smart, practical choice- a necessary foothold for the long climb. It also delivered for his first goal- to have a family farm making products the family could be proud of.