For those new to Italian natural wines, La Stoppa represents a necessary step towards understanding the meaning of an entire movement and its values. We are in the Val Trebbiola, at Rivergaro in the Colli Piacentini. A land that history has always handed down to us as a place for the production of simple, quantitatively important wines, thanks to the presence of market-oriented social and cooperative wineries. The estate dates back to the mid-19th century. It belonged to the wealthy Genoese lawyer Giancarlo Ageno, who decided to plant vines here, realizing the potential of the area. Initially, these were local grape varieties, Barbera and Bonarda. With the spread of phylloxera in the late 1800s and early 1900s, he had to replant and decided to experiment with the inclusion of international varieties such as Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc., with the ambition of emulating the wines of the great French regions.

In the 1970s, the estate was bought by the father of Elena Pantaleoni, the current owner. Elena joined the business in the 1990s, assisted by Giulio Armani, deus ex machina of the natural renaissance of Piacenza viticulture (Giulio's supervision and guidance are also responsible for the successes over time of Vini del Poggio, Casè, Podere Pradarolo, etc.). The first 20 years will be necessary for both to understand the characteristics and expectations of international grape varieties, which is why they will only be vinified by Giulio Armani separately and by individual vineyards. A careful and meticulous job that led to one of the most courageous decisions of the time: pulling out the vines of the earliest-ripening grapes. The Colli Piacentini enjoyed warm temperatures and mild altitudes (250 m above sea level), and the international grape varieties ripened too early, losing their freshness and accumulating sugar and alcohol.

This led to the replanting of only traditional, local varieties: Barbera (known for its marked acidity), Bonarda and Malvasia di Candia. Work in the vineyard and cellar has been rethought, using acts and practices that respect nature and its cycles. La Stoppa covers 32 hectares planted with vines and 28 hectares of woodland. Today, their range fully represents the history and tradition of this territory: a long maceration on the skins, the use of neutral containers in winemaking (steel/cement) and long ageing make it possible to clearly appreciate the identity of a territory, a grape variety and a vintage, and to reject any style constructed to intercept the taste of the market. The world of Italian natural wine owes a great tribute to Elena and Giulio for pointing the way before anyone else, a direction that is now the basis of distribution.

Selection

Ageno

Ageno de La Stoppa is a white wine whose name pays tribute to the winery's former owner, who was the first to believe in the area's potential and want to develop it.

To the eye, Ageno is characterized by an elegant yet luminous peaty amber color, with a background presence. On the nose, the varietal character of the aromatic grapes shines through. Overall, it's very dynamic, with tea, karkadè and intense oxidative notes, jam, caramel and oriental spices.

After a short pause, Mediterranean notes also begin to appear. On the palate, it's complex, charming, smooth and well-balanced by great freshness. What's more, maceration only reinforces the tannic component of the white grapes. An amplifier of conviviality.

Macchiona

Macchiona is a wine that seduces with its direct, rustic approach, drawing a true portrait of Colli Piacentini.

Composed of 50% Barbera and 50% Bonarda, Le Macchiona della Stoppa reveals itself in the glass with a deep ruby-red color of remarkable intensity. From the very first whiff, it dances between diverse sensations, alternating masses of black fruit with rustic, territorial notes of leather and earth.

It conquers by being so direct, so unfiltered. The sip is impetuous, filling the palate with a perfectly balanced combination of flesh and freshness, leaving a very long persistence. A candidate to become a wine of the heart.

Trebbiolo

Trebbiolo Rosso della Stoppa is an everyday wine with great personality, the calling card of one of the most important wineries in the field of artisanal wine production.

Trebbiolo wine is made from an almost equal blend of Barbera and Bonarda grapes, and represents the most everyday, user-friendly red wine from the famous Emilian winery. In the vineyards, a non-interventionist approach is always followed, using only a little copper and sulfur so as not to compromise the vitality of the soil. In the cellar, spontaneous alcoholic fermentation and maceration on the skins for around 20 days are carried out, with minimal addition of sulfur dioxide before bottling.

Red Trebbiolo comes into the glass with a brilliant ruby color. The olfactory impact is distinctive and of great typicity, a fusion of fresh fruit scents, vegetal bouffées and notes of earth and undergrowth. The sip combines juiciness and compactness, and confirms its convivial and gastronomic nature, establishing itself as a hearty bottle capable of satisfying the everyday table. If this is a "starter" wine...

Camporomano

The Barbera grape ripens well on these warm, sunny hillsides, and lends itself well to becoming a wine that improves over the years, thanks to its fresh, lively acidity. This is why, only in years when quality and quantity permit, a pure Barbera is produced.

Camporomano is a 100% Barbera produced by spontaneous fermentation and maceration on the skins for 40 days in stainless steel and cement vats. Aging in 15, 20 and 40 hl oak barrels lasts around a year, followed by two years in the bottle. A wine with a very low sulfite content.

Camporomano La Stoppa is ruby red with garnet highlights. The nose expresses notes of ripe black berry fruit, enriched by spicy cinnamon notes. On the palate, it's fresh and slightly tannic, ending with an austere but elegant finish.

Camporomano is a wine that will remind you of the colors, smells and flavors of the days when, as a child, you ran around your grandmother's kitchen with the bubbling of the pots in the background.