When describing what makes his family’s wines (and those from Italy’s Romagna in general) unique, Ronchi di Castelluccio‘s Aldo Mario Rametta keeps coming back to one thing: the soil.
“The soil is like a memory of the sea,” he says (rather poetically) during an online tasting of some of his family’s recent releases (which also include a sister brand, Poggio della Dogana), due to the ancient marine origin of the hillsides where their vines are planted. About six million years ago, the area was covered by an ocean, so the soils are basically the remains of sea-life fossils.
Born in New Orleans, and raised between the USA and Switzerland, Aldo and his brother Paolo eventually decided to come back to their region of origin and set up shop as wine producers in Modigliana, among the Sangiovese di Romagna hills. “Doing wine was where I finally learned patience” he jokes when recounting the efforts they went through to obtain their vineyards in 2020, situated between 250 and 410 meters above sea level, and now under the care of agronomist Francesco Bordini. They currently have 20 hectares planted between Castrocaro Terme and Brisighella, with soils ranging from calcium-rich brown clay to calcareous ochre, and produce about 65,000 bottles per year, with only ten percent of that making out of the country.
[ The name ronchi, by the way, refers to their land formally being part of the Apennines woodlands, which were once tamed by hand with a rather intimidating-looking tool called roncola, which resembles something out of a slaughter-film-inspired nightmare. ]
The other big factor contributing to Ronchi di Castelluccio’s uniquness, according to Aldo? Elevation. “We are talking about ‘mountain wines’,” he emphasizes; “these are wines that are evident of a certain altitude.”
Anyway… I am not a betting man, but I’d wager that I have a bit more experience with the wines of Romagna than most wine pro types in the U.S., and based on our tasting I’d put the efforts of Ronchi di Castelluccio among the most promising of the region. If their soils are indeed channeling the memory of the ancient seas, then those seas seem to be remembering having some very, very good wines to sip…
2022 Poggio della Dogana ‘Belladama’ Secco, Romagna Albana, $25
“If Sangiovese is the King of Romagna [wine], then Albana is the Queen,” Aldo states when we taste this, the dry version of the region’s signature white wine variety, here sourced from 20-year-old, guyot-trained vines in Brisighella, located up to 300 meters in elevation. It spends ten months in un-glazed concrete, with periodic bâtonage on the fine lees. The name is a tribute to Rosanna, Aldo and Paolo’s mother: Belladama was her favorite horse from her maternal grandfather’s stable. Tropical, floral, fresh, exciting, and brimming with green herbs and saline notes, this is an excellent rendition of Albana. Mineral, grapefruit, and flint all make appearances on a finish that is surprisingly long. This is rich, vibrant, and just an excellent buy for the money.
2021 Ronchi di Castelluccio Sottovento Rubicone Bianco, Forli, $NA
A Sauvignon Blanc and Trebbiano blend, with the SB grown in an alberello system planted in 1989 by enologist Francesco Bordini. Nice white flower action, lots of citrus and a bit of passion-fruit. The nose has a perfumed headiness, but the palate has excellent balance between roundness and freshness, with a focus on fresh citrus flavors and a lengthy, savory, and mineral finish.
2021 Ronchi di Castelluccio ‘Buco del Prete’ Sangiovese Modigliana, Romagna, $40
This red is sourced from 100% Sangiovese, planted in the late 1980s in a plot that’s surrounded by dense woodland and was effectively abandoned for decades due to the difficulty of reaching it. It spends 20 days on the skins, 12 months in 30hl oak barrels, and 12-18 months in the bottle before release. The word of the day here is Fresh! Tangy red plums, redcurrants, rose petals, cranberry, red cherries… it’s all red fruit action, tinged with dried herbs, leather, and plenty of earthiness. The long finish continues the palate’s vibrancy and focused tannins. This is a nice showing of delicacy married to structure.
2020 Ronchi di Castelluccio ‘Ronco della Simia’ Sangiovese Modigliana,Romagna, $100
This Sangio is sourced from a clone that produces thicker-skinned berries, planted on east-facing slopes at 440m a.s.l. The name refers to a local legend involving an American soldier stationed in Modigliana during WWII, who supposedly decided to settle in the region along with (for some reason) a pet monkey. When the monkey died, he apparently buried it near a well in the ronco (which I am assuming would now violate some regulations?), which is considered to be a “mystical” place. Anyway… Also says that “Sangiovese is a great interpreter of where you are” and if that’s the case, this wine suggests that the spot is at least a little bit mystical. It starts with earth, dried orange peel, dried herbs, sour black cherry, plums, redcurrant, dried rose petal, and a rather serious nature all around. The elegant nose belies a powerful, forceful, young palate, with leathery tannins, and deep red fruit flavors. This is got serious stuffing in its structure; hell, even the acidity feels serious! Don’t attempt it for a few more years and your patience will be very well rewarded.
Cheers!