A short drive from the sea south of Rome, I Chicchi is a tiny biodynamic estate where a couple coaxes Bordeaux grapes into pure, additive-free natural wine on volcanic soils.
Backstory
The agricultural company I Chicchi was founded in 2011 by Enrico Rosati and his wife Federica with the purchase of about two and a half hectares of land near Ardea. They planted their small vineyard, just over a hectare, in 2013.
The Region
The estate sits only about nine kilometers from the coast, in the Lazio countryside as it begins to climb toward the Castelli Romani hills. The land belongs to the vast Lazio volcano complex: marine clays at the geological base, covered by lava and tuff, lend the site its volcanic stamp.
Vineyards & Farming
The vineyard is planted to Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, around 60 and 40 percent, with a small block of Grenache. Farming is biodynamic, aimed at building soil fertility and balance among plants, animals, insects and people.
Winemaking
In the cellar nothing is added: no additives or adjuvants, no fining, filtering or stabilizing. The grapes ferment spontaneously on their own skin, cellar and vintage yeasts. The wines mature in vitrified concrete, steel, barrique and tonneau, then rest two to four months in bottle before release.
The Wines
The flagship is Torrebruna, a red built on the estate's Bordeaux varieties, produced in small quantities across several vintages.
