La Poiesa

La Poiesa is a small estate in Carpaneto Piacentino, in the province of Piacenza. The property has been in the Cristi family for seven generations and sits in Val Vezzeno, on the first slopes of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. Roberto Cristi returned to the estate after studying surveying and working in Turin, reopened the farm in 2013, and initially sold grapes in bulk before deciding to vinify in his own right.

The estate covers 13 hectares total, of which 3 are planted to vines and 2 are woodland; the remaining 8 grow wheat and sunflowers. Vineyards sit at approximately 220 meters above sea level on dense, colloidal clay soils — a noticeably different terroir from the sandier, formerly marine soils on the eastern side of the Colli Piacentini. The clay here is fertile and compact, and Roberto notes that fermentations on these nitrogen-rich soils run faster than on neighboring estates. La Poiesa converted to full organic management in 2013. All vineyard work is done by hand, with only copper and sulfur used as preventive treatments. No synthetic chemicals are used. Indigenous varieties planted include Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo, Barbera, and Croatina.

The first vintages of Filom (2016 through 2019) were made at Cantina Croci with input from Massimiliano Croci, a central figure in natural winemaking in the Colli Piacentini. Roberto sourced old cement tanks from closing wineries and has progressively moved winemaking in-house. In the cellar, fermentation relies entirely on native yeasts with no induced refermentation, no additions, no fining, and no filtration. Filom macerates on skins for four weeks in cement before bottling without added sulfites.