Article by Matteo Donelli
Snowboarding in the blood. Italian champion. An Italian Cup that shines in a showcase full of many prestigious medals.
A thoroughbred athlete and as such strict diets and woe to alcohol. Woe to the wine.
Today William Colombo is at the helm of one of the most unique and exclusive Italian wineries: Bricco dei Roncotti.
Micro-reality of 2.5 hectares but with territorial and production peculiarities that are arousing international interest.
In the Vigalone hamlet of Canneto Pavese there is a sort of unique natural micro system. Very steep hill. Almost an "imposing wall" of vineyard. A natural barrier, similar to the walls of the Normandy coastlines.
It took only a national snowboard champion to "see" in those slopes that exceed 50%, the continuity of sporting fun with the world of wine.
A slope resulting in a unique atmospheric exposure nationwide. Potential heroic viticulture in all respects.
"Love at first sight".
That disused vineyard wall in poor condition makes William and his father Arnaldo fall in love in a June 1997. Quick economic negotiation because the seller only dreamed of disposing of that unproductive land that was difficult to manage precisely because of that damn slope that made the operators "breathless" even after a few meters traveled.
As an environmental engineer of a multinational in Milan, the heart begins to beat faster and faster for that Bricco (it is said in Lombardy for very steep slopes). Weekends are no longer enough to do the vineyard with the family. His father Arnaldo, retired for some years and a great mountain lover (climbed all 4000 meters in Italy and some peaks in the world) spent 15 hours a day in the vineyard.
The family, another fundamental element. Because only the three of them want to set foot on that Bricco. Shy reserved and jealous of their creature they work with with great passion. Like a son.
William has been full-time in the wine business for some years. After the death of his father in 2015, he works as a full time winemaker with his mother Maria Rosa. "We keep fit by going up and down our hill."
All the cultivation activities follow both in the field and in the cellar. They obsessively adhere to integrated production regulations, contributing significantly to the conservation of biodiversity. The scarce water availability, the permanent grassing, the short pruning, the careful summer tying are all characteristics that translate into higher quality of the grapes and a higher sugar concentration.
It is my hands and never my mother's who select the bunches directly on the plant. It is harvested only in the cool hours of the day in order to have optimal temperature control without the need for invasive equipment.
For white wines immediate pressing, decantation and fermentation at room temperature, carrying out of batonnage for the whole winter on the fine lees, final refermentation in the bottle.
For red wines very long maceration with manual punching down and delicate pumping over to extract the maximum from the grapes, subsequently aging on the fine lees in used barriques with frequent batonnage.
The philosophy is to try to maintain the highest possible quality of what the vineyard has produced, without corrective interventions, but carefully monitoring the progress of winemaking thanks to the small size of the tanks and barrels. The production per vine is very low, overall the average yield of the vinified grapes varies between 40 and 80 q / ha.
Eight labels originating from the aromatic Malvasia di Candia, Italic and Rhenish Riesling, Croatina, Barbera, Ughetta di Canneto, Sangiovese, Cabernet Savigno, Nebbiolo vines.
Second fermentation in the bottle and for the reds 12 months of aging in barrique.
The label in the bottle with the stylized moon is a tribute to the past, to ancient times where the buildings were not equipped with electric lighting, the brightness of the full moon rising behind the hill guaranteed the brightness for the harvest.
The best still red wine from Oltrepò Pavese, or the Buttafuoco, is the "Devil's Horn". From full compliance with the DOC disciplinary, with Croatina, Barbera and Ughetta di Canneto grapes, it represents a synthesis of quality and a strong link to the production traditions that make Cantina Bricco dei Roncotti a point of reference for international winemaking research linked to maintaining the best that tradition has handed down.
Strong wines, like William's skies, with personalities like Arnaldo's climbs and delicate like Maria Rosa's hands in picking up every single bunch.
