TreMat ‘Vinell’ Col Fondo
Although the Azienda Agricola was founded recently (2009), the Bartolin family has been growing grapes in Veneto for over a century. So when Gianni inherited one the most amazing vineyard in Santo Stefano, he began Azienda Agricola Tre Mat with the knowledge of ancestors in his blood. Choosing to follow the pre-industrial traditions of Valdobbiadene (long, native fermentations, macerating 'sulle bucce', not disgorged/'col fondo' method)
The vineyard is one of the steepest in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG and has been worked by hand since it was first planted by Gianni's grandfather and great-grandfather 80+ years ago. Following the traditional way of planting alternating rows of the antique varieties of Valdobbiadene: Perera, Verdiso, Bianchetta & Glera. The vines grow in steep rows at 380m in thick humus topsoil with banks of limestone and gravel beneath. Gianni follows the Japanese Kiyusa Nature Farming (aka "do nothing farming" developed in the 1970s by Masanobu Fukuoka). This do-nothing approach increases vitality and microbial diversity of soils and allows a truly biodiverse environment in the vineyards. And I can tell you - walking through these STEEP AF vines is an ode - dare I say a poem - to biodiversity!
As with a lot of our favorite winemakers, Gianni has been called crazy for his strict adherence to these principles in the vineyard and his approach in the cellar. In fact, Tre Mat translates to "three times crazy" - Gianni laughs when he tells the stories about the other producers in the area calling him a 3x fool for (1) growing the grapes he does and not ripping out everything to plant only Glera (the common grape in Prosecco) and (2) farming in the Fukuoka method and not spraying and (3) making natural Prosecco. If this is crazy - well, thank goodness cuz this Col Fondo is DELICIOUS!!!
Hand-harvested grapes for "Vinell" are left to dry using the 'appassimento' method - a gentle approach that lays the grapes out to naturally dehydrate 6-7 days . The slightly dried grapes are then crushed and macerated on the skins for four days followed by a gentle press to remove the skins. The remaining juice is left to ferment spontaneously in old wooden casks on fine lees for six months. The wine is bottled for secondary fermentation in bottle using must from the same vintage (col fondo method). It is unfined, unfiltered, and without the addition of any SO2.
Grapes are classic : Perera, Verdiso, Bianchetta & Glera! but this wine is anything but - I mean, it's classic as in these are the classic grapes of the region of Prosecco! and yes, you will want to drink it all the time cuz it's so DELISH!! but it's crazy because...well, I'll let Gianni tell you in his own words "Some people think I’m wasting my time. Others that I will never gain any results. I believe in the labors of our ancestors, that in the vineyards alternated different types of vines to give scent, acidity, and sustain to the wine directly from the wine pressing , with no ulterior intervention in the wine cellar. I believe in the vine, a living thing, is able to give its marvelous fruits if respected by man. I believe in the future, which will be better if we are able to regain the wisdom of the past and we are able to integrate it into our new consciousness. This is my project and my philosophy. Wine says marvelous things to those who are able to listen."
so i guess the question is - are you listening?
