The hills around Piglio have grown vines since Roman times. Two cousins from humble farming families are working that history into the present, reviving Cesanese del Piglio and a handful of grapes almost no one else still plants.
Backstory
Abbia Nova is run by cousins Daniele and Pierluca Proietti in the historic town of Piglio, south of Rome in Lazio. The land carries deep history: it is said to have hosted Bernard of Clairvaux on his monastic journey and to have served as a retreat for the Roman emperors Nerva and Trajan, whose villas left archaeological traces among the vines.
The Region
Abbia Nova works at Piglio, in the hills of Lazio, a landscape of volcanic soils, rolling slopes, and varied microclimates. Cesanese d'Affile has been the dominant grape here for more than 400 years, anchoring the Cesanese del Piglio DOCG.
Vineyards & Farming
Abbia Nova covers 7 hectares divided into small parcels on a patchwork of volcanic, clay, sandy, limestone, and sandstone soils. Alongside Cesanese, the cousins are reviving ancient local varieties including Passerina, Bellone, Ottonese, Nostrano, and Fosco Peloso. Farming is organic with biodynamic principles, drawing also on Fukuoka's natural method and homeopathy, and they have replaced copper and sulphur sprays with natural resistance activators.
Winemaking
Abbia Nova fermentations are spontaneous, with indigenous yeasts. The wines see a mix of vessels: steel, concrete, amphora, and glass demijohns. Added sulfites are kept low, typically 10 to 30 mg/L, and the wines are neither fined nor filtered.
The Wines
Abbia Nova produces around eight cuvees, including the Senza Vandalismi Cesanese del Piglio and a Senza Vandalismi Passerina, plus bottlings such as Baciami Ancora, Cercia, Fontana, Berlame, and San Giovanni.
